If You Only Knew
by Ninjette Twitch
Summary: Motoki and Minako are tired of seeing their best friends fighting all the time. So they come up with a plan that is so crazy...it might actually work! AU/No Senshi
1. Chapter 1

Hey, guys! It's been a while since I wrote something that wasn't for the Hot and Heavy Chronicles, but that time has _finally_ come! I actually started the fic a while ago and lost it. But I found it again! And with the help of my beautiful baetas, Beej88 and Revy679, I'm finally ready to bring this to you!

Side note: go check out Beej88's fic, _It's Always Been You_. It's beautiful fluffiness!

Also, Revy679, Beej88 and I have started a group called Elite Squad where we post stories we're collaborating on. Our current project is called _What Dreams May Come_. Go check it out and let us know what you think!

oOo

"They really _are_ ridiculous," Motoki muttered with exasperation, and shook his head as he watched his two friends incessantly fighting at the back of the arcade.

His scowl of irritation deepened, and he couldn't keep his eyes off of them as he diligently wiped down some splattered milkshake off of the counter. _They were probably arguing about something stupid, too_. He inwardly scoffed, before he was distracted by a swish of blonde hair in his peripheral vision. His gaze fell onto Minako who'd plopped herself down in a swivel stool on the other side of the counter. She was watching the spectacle over her shoulder with as much irritation as he was. The silken blonde locks of her hair cascaded over her shoulders, and the ridiculously oversized red bow bobbed as she nodded in response to the whispered comment that he hadn't really meant for her to hear.

She propped her elbow onto the counter, and sighed loudly, with a dramatic flair that was very much a staple of the blonde-haired girl's personality. "They just need to rip each other's clothes off and get it over with," she stated, in a matter of fact tone that shouldn't have, but scandalized Motoki, nonetheless.

He rolled his eyes, as the heat rose in his face. "Minako!" he reprimanded reproachfully. She finally pulled her gaze from the pair at the back of the arcade, turned back to him, and blinked up at him with wide, innocent blue eyes.

She jutted out a tiny chin with a haughty snort. "What?! It's true! Look at them!" She chimed with barely restrained frustration as she twisted her body, and dramatically gestured to the couple. "They can't go more than one minute without somehow touching each other!" She exclaimed with an indignant huff.

Motoki frowned, his eyes narrowing as he looked back at them, and carefully scrutinized their actions. Well, Minako _wasn't_ lying. It was definitely true. One of them was _always_ touching the other. It was like some kind of strange, contrived dance of _anger._ Usagi poked Mamoru in the chest, then Mamoru played with a bun on her head. Usagi smacked his hand away, then Mamoru poked her shoulder. Usagi pushed him away and then… they went on and on like that. They really _couldn't_ keep their hands off one another.

As he watched them, Minako studied his reaction. " _See_!" She proclaimed triumphantly, practically bouncing up and down on the stool. Motoki sighed, and fought the urge to roll his eyes. Instead he nodded thoughtfully. "I wish I could think of a way to get them together, for all of our sakes." Minako scoffed and snorted with irritation.

Motoki chuckled, while moving to the sink to rinse off some dirty glasses. "Ha! Right. Only an act of extreme jealousy could ever get those two together," Motoki said jokingly, silently musing the ridiculous thought when he finally noted that Minako had remained silent for a moment. Which, if you _knew_ Minako, you would know was very unusual. Especially mid-rant.

He glanced up at the blonde furtively, his brow furrowed as he watched the array of expressions that crossed over her face. You could practically _see_ her pondering, the cogs of her mind turning as she mulled something over in her head. Suddenly, and very slowly, she focused her eyes on Motoki, and a wicked grin cascaded across ample pink lips. The blood drained from Motoki's face. It was _never_ good when Minako had an idea.

"What are you thinking?" He asked hesitantly, almost afraid to hear her answer.

She tilted her head to the side and drummed manicured fingers along the scuffed oak countertop. "Didn't you and Reika just break up?" She asked slyly, her question laced with a double-meaning that he had yet to understand. He frowned, swallowed nervously, and slowly and deliberately nodded.

He didn't need a reminder of Reika. The whole breakup was recent, raw, and it had not ended well between them. He fixed his eyes onto Minako's with a suspicious scowl. "Yeah. So?"

Minako's smile widened. "Soooo…you're on the market?" She asked, her tone playful as she winked and tossed the glistening locks of her golden hair over her shoulder. Her eyes twinkled brightly, as she arched a golden brow expectantly. It took a moment, but Motoki's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. He had a feeling he knew where this was going and with Minako at the helm of this crazy plan, he knew it couldn't be a good thing for him.

"I guess," he murmured, his tone surly and his gaze wary.

It appeared that Minako was tired of tiptoeing around the topic and she sighed loudly, _once again._ "An act of extreme jealousy, Motoki!" She exclaimed with another overly dramatic hand gesture. "What if you dated Usagi?" She said with a white-toothed grin.

Though he'd suspected that the statement was coming, it _still_ caught him off guard, and Motoki dropped the glass he was drying. It crashed to the white laminate flooring and shattered, sending shards of glass skidding across the floor. He inhaled sharply, and cursed under his breath as the whole arcade turned to see what the commotion was all about. The fighting duo included.

Motoki blushed, cleared his throat, and waved their audience's attention away. His face felt like it was on fire by the time everyone, including the couple, went back to what they were doing.

The blonde man quickly grabbed a broom, and furiously began to sweep up the mess while Minako tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress her laughter behind the fingers she'd pressed to her lips in amusement. Once the disaster on the floor was taken care of, the shards carefully disposed in the trash, he turned his attention away from the disaster on the floor and back to the disaster sitting in front of him. Minako had the audacity to grin.

The look on her delicate features was knowing, and she propped a delicate chin onto the palm of her hand as she watched him. "You know, it's not a bad idea," Minako said, smiling coyly.

" _It's not a bad idea?_ How is _that_ not a bad idea?" Motoki whispered heatedly, as he leaned across the counter in order to avoid being overheard. Minako leaned in as well, delighted, as if this was a big secret. Which it _was_.

Her wide eyes were twinkling merrily. " _Think about it,_ Motoki! Mamoru sees his best friend dating the girl he's been pining for?" she chimed with unfettered excitement. " 'An act of jealousy' will help him realize his feelings! Then he'll confess to her. She will, in turn, realize she's in love with him too!" she said with a confident smile, even as he shook his head with disbelief. "And then they'll live happily ever after!" She finished, with a gleeful squeal, and a dreamy, glossed over look in her eyes.

He took a deep cleansing breath, and pinched the bridge of his nose, silently praying for patience. "Did you forget that Usagi used to have a crush on me?" He hissed, hoping that the reminder derailed this ridiculous plan. He _vividly_ remembered the days when the bouncy blonde had fawned over him, leaning over her milkshake while batting long eyelashes with a soft giggle over something he'd said that wasn't even funny. But Minako shook her head, undeterred, with a "pft" and a casual wave of her hand.

He couldn't believe the blonde was still arguing her point, but she waved a slender finger in the air, with a determined look on her face. "The key words there are 'used to'," she said brightly. "It was a silly, school girl crush! Come on, Motoki! She doesn't feel that way about you anymore. She's 19 now. She's grown past all of that," she said in defense of the best friend that she was currently trying to set up with _him_ in an attempt to make the hard-headed Mamoru Chiba come to his senses.

He was unconvinced, and he shook his head in denial. "And you don't think dating won't bring out those feelings?" He asked incredulously. Surely this point was enough to knock some sense into Minako, but, once again, she shook her head.

"Nope! Quite the contrary. I think dating you will make her realize the feelings that she has for _him_." She said stubbornly and shot a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the feuding pair.

His scowl deepened, though for a different reason now. He didn't feel anything remotely romantic towards the odangoed blonde that had become his friend, but still… "Oh, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy," he said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

Minako frowned in response. "You _want_ her to get those feelings back?" She questioned, and it was the first time that Minako faltered in this entire conversation.

He sighed, "Of course not! Still doesn't mean it doesn't hurt my ego a bit," he muttered, and ran a hand over his heart dramatically.

It was Minako's turn to roll her eyes. "I'm sure your ego will be just fine," she said with a grin curled onto her lips. "Especially when you see how happy they are together after my brilliant plan works," She exclaimed brightly, and he did have to admit that her persistence was beginning to wear him down. He truly cared about the stupid idiots… I mean, could it possibly work?

Motoki sighed and looked back at the fighting couple. Mamoru was tapping her forehead and Motoki could only assume it was in response to a quip about her grades or her intelligence. Or both. The fire in Usagi's eyes confirmed his suspicion. Was he really considering this? He fixed his gaze on Minako with a grimace and a resigned look glinting in his eyes. Minako squealed, and clapped her hands happily in response, and a huge smile replaced her cheeky grin.

He put the broom, that he hadn't realized he was still holding, aside and slowly wiped his hands on a towel. He had a sinking feeling that this was _not_ a good idea, but he made his way around the counter anyway.

Minako squealed with excitement. "Go get her, stud!" She said brightly, and a suggestive wiggle of her delicately arched eyebrows.

He scowled, shooting the blonde a sideways glare as he closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep cleansing breath, and mentally prepared himself to do one of the most idiotic things he'd probably ever done. His steps were slow, unsure, as he tentatively made his way to his friends.

The telltale sounds of hushed, angry whispers grew louder as he approached. "Maybe if you weren't such a _jerk_ , I wouldn't have to!" Usagi snapped, her posture stiff, coiled tightly with anger.

He winced at Mamoru's response. "It only takes one Odango to turn the tides," he said snidely, a sneer curled onto his lips.

He shook his head with exasperation. "Hey, guys," Motoki interjected just as Usagi opened her mouth to hurl another insult, no doubt. They both turned to peer up at him, two pairs of eyes filled with confusion, as he took another deep breath.

He could feel Minako's eyes burning holes in the back of his head all the way from across the room. "Usagi, can I talk to you for a sec? In private?" He requested hoarsely, practically choking on his words. _This was such a bad idea._ He swallowed nervously as his eyes finally fell onto Mamoru, so that he could carefully gage his reaction.

Mamoru was frowned in confusion, and his look perfectly mirrored the blonde beside him.

Usagi raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Uh, yeah sure. Is everything okay?" She questioned cautiously, shook her head as if to clear it, then took a step towards him. She gave her ebony-haute tormentor a sideways glance, as if to confirm that he was confused as well, as she followed him.

He offered the blonde a shaky smile. "I sure hope so," Motoki muttered to himself as he led her toward an empty booth and away from his best friend. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Mamoru couldn't take his eyes off them as they sat across from each other. _Maybe Minako wasn't so crazy after all?_

Usagi frowned "What's going on, Motoki?" She asked worriedly. It was probably because he hadn't met her eyes yet, and pointedly continued to stare at his hands that were folded together on the counter.

Motoki cleared his throat, "There was something I needed to ask you," he began slowly, deliberately taking his time, still feeling uncertain about putting this plan into motion. She reached across the table and took his hands in hers.

He looked up at her, and his startled chestnut brown eyes met hers. "Go ahead, 'Toki. You can ask me anything. What's wrong?" She asked gently.

He looked away for a moment, silently berating the blonde at the counter for getting him into this mess. He glanced at Mamoru, seeing the jealousy clearly burning behind his eyes already. He resigned himself to his fate. His friends needed this.

He looked back into Usagi's big blue eyes. "Usagi…would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" He blurted in one breath and watched as her eyes widened. She immediately withdrew her hands from his, and he couldn't help but flinch.

She'd paled, "Are you…are you asking me out?" She stammered disbelievingly. Motoki grimaced and nodded slowly. She shook her head in denial. "But…why?"

Motoki shrugged with one shoulder. "I think we'd have fun," he responded, trying to interject a lighthearted tone into his voice that he wasn't quite feeling. She sat back in her seat and studied his face with narrowed eyes, as if trying to discern the truth in his eyes. "We could go to dinner and then maybe a movie? Or a walk? Or…"

"Okay," she interrupted quickly, her words crisp and blunt. His eyes widened, and he swallowed nervously. He'd half expected her to say no.

He inhaled sharply. " _Okay_?" He asked with uncertainty, and she nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah. I think it would be fun," she agreed with a tone that he couldn't quite decipher. "You want to just pick me up from here? About 6?" She suggested, her words sounded carefully chosen.

"Yeah," he replied with a tentative smile. "That would be great. I'll see you tomorrow, then." He murmured then stood from the booth, as she followed suit.

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow then." She said briskly, then walked past him and headed out the door, completely ignoring Mamoru as she did so. Motoki watched as Mamoru's gaze followed Usagi before turning a questioning look back to Motoki. He stifled a grin and headed back toward the counter.

A firm hand curled around his arm as he passed the raven-haired idiot stopped him in his tracks. "What was that about?" Mamoru demanded, practically snarling. Motoki studied his face, choosing his words carefully. At the counter, Minako's eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Just needed to ask her something important. That's all," he decided on. Mamoru frowned and released his friend from his grasp. Motoki took that as his cue and hurried behind the counter. His tall friend stood in the middle of the arcade, as if contemplating what just happened.

"Soooo?" Minako leaned across the counter in a conspiratory way.

"Sooooo, we are going out to dinner tomorrow night," he answered. Minako squealed and clapped her hands, bouncing in her seat a bit. This earned the attention of Mamoru, who turned to gaze at the two at the counter. "Calm down!" Motoki reprimanded, grabbing her hands and forcing them to the counter.

"Um, no way, Jose! This is exciting!" She grinned. Motoki couldn't help the small smile that overtook him.

"This had better work," he stated, glancing at his best friend who was still staring at him.

"Oh, it will," she responded confidently, grabbing her bag off the floor and standing. "Trust me." With a smile and a wave, she headed out of the arcade.

Mamoru watched this exchange with narrowed eyes. He watched as Minako walked out the door before turning an almost challenging look to Motoki. Then, like a bullet, he charged out of the arcade after Minako.

Motoki sighed and shook his head. At this rate, he wouldn't have to 'date' Usagi very long before Mamoru finally stepped up. He just hoped no one, especially Usagi, got hurt in the process.

oOo

Mamoru ran down the sidewalk after Minako, and a small coy smile curled onto the blonde's lips as she heard the approaching footsteps.

"Minako!" Mamoru called out. Her smile widened as from the hoarse hint of urgency she detected in his tone. She stopped, gracefully swiveled around, and turned to face him. She blinked up at him, and expertly laced a look of quizzical innocence onto her delicate facial features.

She purposefully tilted her head, "What's up, Mamoru?" She questioned, her tone soft and lilting as he stopped in front of her.

She was inwardly squealing with delight at the frown of irritation furrowed onto his brow. "What was all that about?" He asked sullenly and gestured back towards the arcade. Minako glanced back to the arcade as if the door would magically spit out the answer.

She looked back to Mamoru in faux-confusion. "Whatever do you mean?" She asked, the very picture of innocence. His frown melted an annoyed scowl, and she needed to bite the inside of her lips to suppress the amused giggle that bubbled up in her throat and threatened to give her away.

"Don't play with me, Minako," he snapped angrily. _Silly Mamoru._ He was always _so_ serious. "You know exactly what I mean," he growled, the baritone of his voice low and raspy. The blonde girl couldn't help the smirk that curled onto her lips after that. _Maybe this would happen more quickly than she'd anticipated?_

She took a purposeful step towards him, a coy, secretive look glinting in the blue hues of her eyes. "Let's just say," she whispered slyly, "love is in the water!" She giggled and twirled with excitement.

Mamoru's eyes widened, and she watched his face flush as the blood drained from his face. "What?" He spat hoarsely, and she inwardly 'whooped' with glee. It was almost _too_ easy. She'd _clearly_ been the goddess of love in her previous life, because she was _killing_ it with her brilliant matchmaking tactics!

She giggled again, "Someone has a date tomorrow night," she said in sing song voice. Mamoru's breathing hitched, and that did not go unnoticed by a delighted Minako. "I gotta go. See if she needs any help getting ready tomorrow. Bye, Mamoru!" She waved and turned to skip down the block. Just before she turned the corner, she stopped to look back. Mamoru was standing in the same spot, his eyes unfocused as he fixed his gaze on the wall of the red-bricked house beside him. He was definitely lost in thought… hopefully thoughts of a pretty odangoed blonde! Minako giggled before heading off again.

It _really_ was a _brilliant_ plan.

oOo

Sooo…..whacha think?!

One more thing: Follow me on tumblr, ninjettetwitch, to get updates on fics, (mine and my favorites), or to just hit me up and chat!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Here's chapter 2, guys! I want to thank everyone who has reviewed. You guys have given me the confidence to post the next chapter! Woohoo! I really hope you like it!

Thank soooo much to my wonderful and beautiful bae-tas, Beej88 and Revy679. They are the best friend's a girl could ask for! I love you ladies, so much!

Beej88 has been writing a fic called _It's Always Been You._ You need to go check it out! It's so so cute and I love it so very much!

Follow me on tumblr, ninjettetwitch

And go check out Elite Squad! It's our collaboration site with me, Beej88 and Revy679. We're about to post part 2 of Chapter 2 of _What Dreams May Come._ You don't want to miss out!

oOo

 **The Next Day**

It didn't matter how much she wanted this. Usagi still struggled to get through a full day at school without her mind drifting off somewhere else. Though, truthfully, she'd been much less _determined_ in high school. While Tokyo College of Welfare wasn't considered overly prestigious _by any means,_ it served her purposes well, and she was halfway through a two-year course, almost on the cusp of actually graduating in her childcare program.

She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment that she'd decided to specialize in social work, much less childcare, but it had seemed _right_. She'd fought tooth and nail through years' worth of C and B- averages to get here.

Nevertheless, despite the fact that she wasn't quite as _awful_ in school like she used to be, she still found that she needed a break from time to time. That's where her group of high-school girlfriends came in. Although they'd all gone down different paths in life, they still vowed to meet each other once a week.

Which was exactly where Usagi was currently headed. This week they'd opted to meet at the temple where Rei was still a Shinto Priestess.

She was running late, _again,_ and she was going to have to cut the meeting short this week so that she could have time to go home and get ready for her date with Motoki.

She shook her head, deep in thought, as she flew out of Tokyo metro, her feet pounding against the pavement as she instinctively made her way to the temple. _Date with Motoki_. How weird was _that_? She was so confused by the whole thing. Reika and Motoki had only just recently split. No one was really sure what had happened between them. Motoki never wanted to talk about it and Usagi didn't push the issue, but she remembered the days that had followed the break up. He'd been a _mess._ Which is why she was surprised that he'd even asked. She never in a million years would have expected to be asked out by the boy that had ultimately become one of her friends.

She rounded the corner, the temple just in sight now, as her brows drew together thoughtfully. She wasn't entirely sure why she'd even agreed. Sure, she'd once had a super crush on the man when they were younger. But she'd been _young_ , and Motoki had been seriously _hot_. He was _still_ hot! But they were just friends. She actually considered him one of her _best_ friends. They'd spent a lot of time together over the years, and they'd gotten to know each other. Now, she only really saw him as a big brother, almost. _So, why had she agreed to the date?_

She slowed her pace and her breathing as she passed through the entrance pergola that led into Hikawa shrine. _She was lonely._ It was the only thing that made sense to her. Her friends had boyfriends (or at least guys they talked to). The most significant male interaction that she could boast about was seeing Motoki behind the arcade counter and arguing with that stupid _baka_ every day.

She sighed, slightly deflated, as she climbed the stairs where she knew her friends were waiting for her. As she entered, all four girls turned to look at her.

Rei, as she'd expected, rolled her eyes. "Wow, Odango. You actually made it on time! _Shocker_ ," Rei spat. Usagi rolled her eyes and took a seat across from Minako and between Makoto and Ami. There was _no_ way that she was going to tell them that she'd assumed that she was already late.

She scoffed, her eyes flashing with indignant irritation as she met Ami's gaze. The bluenette grimaced apologetically. "It _is_ surprising to see you here on time," Ami said softly. Though her cerulean colored eyes softened. "Though, I am proud of the improvement, Usagi!" She reassured comfortingly.

Usagi smiled gratefully, before turning to the room's other resident blonde. "Yeah, what gives?" Minako asked coyly, the corners of her pink-hued lips pulled up into a curious smile.

Usagi frowned. "I have something to do later today so I can't stay long," she explained as a response. Minako's smile widened and her eyes filled with gleeful excitement. Usagi's frown deepened as she gauged her friend's reaction. She couldn't, for the life of her, figure out why Minako would react that way simply because she'd been on time. _Granted_ it was a rare occurrence which _may_ be cause for a _little_ alarm, but the intense look on her friend's face was overdoing it a little bit.

Rei scoffed, "What is _so_ important that you can't stay and hang out with your friends?" She demanded petulantly. Usagi had learned, over time, that Rei was naturally a passionate person with a fiercely hardened demeanor. Which was why she was _particularly_ hard on her. Usagi had accepted that particular aspect of Rei's personality, and loved her for it anyways.

"Maybe she's going to do her homework," Ami suggested hopefully. Minako openly laughed out loud while Rei rolled her eyes. Ami was her one friend that actually _enjoyed_ school. Which she would have to in order to manage the overbearing workload of medical school.

Usagi opened her mouth to _tell_ them why she had to leave, when she was interrupted. "Maybe she has to have dinner with the family?" Lita suggested brightly, and Usagi offered her a smile, but shook her head.

She was interrupted, once again, by Minako. "Maybe she has a hot date," the blonde said coyly and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Usagi's mouth snapped shut and she tilted her head to the side as her gaze fell onto her friend. Was that a lucky guess?

"Ha!" Rei barked snarkily. "Usagi with a date? That's a laugh!" She exclaimed, and Usagi whipped her head to Rei, her face beginning to burn hotly with insulted indignation. She'd _mostly_ accepted Rei's personality. That didn't mean that it didn't still annoy her at times.

She scowled in irritation and propped a delicate hand on her hip. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?" She demanded, thoroughly insulted.

It was getting tense in the room, and Minako giggled brightly to cut through it. "Usagi could totally get a date! I'm sure lots of guys want to date her!" Minako defended lightly and waved her hand in an effort to dismiss Rei's crisp comment.

Makoto frowned, and shook her head. "Don't be so mean, Rei," the brunette admonished.

Rei's cheeks reddened, but she jutted out her chin proudly. "I'm _not_ being mean. I'm just saying that she's never been on a real date. I _seriously_ doubt she is going to start now," she scoffed stubbornly.

"Stop it, Rei! She does have a date. I'm sure of it!" Minako proclaimed with a surety that caught Usagi's attention. Usagi glanced over to the blonde with a budding suspicion in her expression. Minako straightened her posture and met Usagi's gaze with feigned innocence. "You do, _right_?" She asked, and quickly averted her gaze. Usagi watched the blush creep up her face with curiosity. Something was a bit off here.

"Yes…" Usagi replied tentatively before turning back to her fiery, raven-haired friend. "In fact, I do have a date tonight, thank you very much."

"With who?" Ami blurted, unexpectedly interjecting herself into the conversation. Their gazes all snapped to her, and her face turned an embarrassed shade of crimson red.

"Motoki," Usagi answered, with a satisfied smirk, which was promptly followed by a cacophony of disbelieving responses.

"WHAT?!"

"MOTOKI?"

"Did he ask you?"

"You asked him, right?"

"I thought you didn't like him anymore?"

"Calm down, everyone!" Minako chimed in. Again, Usagi looked at her blonde friend with questioning, narrowed eyes. She was taking the news of her going on a date with Motoki _way_ too well. Of all of her friends, Minako should have been the one freaking out the most, jumping up and down like _she_ was the one who'd just been asked out.

"Motoki asked me yesterday when I went to the arcade," Usagi answered. "I don't know if I like him or not. He's always been my friend. I haven't thought of him as more than that in years. And even then…"

"It was a silly crush," Makoto finished. Usagi nodded her agreement.

"So, wait, Motoki just came up to you and asked you to go on a date with him?" Rei asked skeptically.

"Like it's so unbelievable that I could get a guy like Motoki?" Usagi asked sharply. Rei rolled her eyes.

"That's not what I meant, Odango Atama!" She spat. Then she muttered, "It's just not who I was expecting…"

"Who were you expecting?" Usagi asked curiously. At that, Rei looked around the room at the other girls for support. They knew what Motoki and Minako knew: It was Mamoru who had feelings for Usagi; not Motoki. But she couldn't say that.

"No one," she said finally after realizing she would be receiving no help from her so-called 'friends'.

Usagi let it go, stood and grabbed her bag. "I need to get going," she stated firmly, and checked her watch. Then she turned to Minako. "Want to come help me pick out something to wear?" She asked, knowing full well that the fashionista would not be able to turn down the opportunity to dress her. It was time to get her blonde friend alone and interrogate her on _exactly_ what she knew. Minako was up and across the room before Usagi even had even finished her question.

She was like bouncing ball of brightness and excitement as she skipped around the table. "Let's go!" She exclaimed with excitement, as she hurried out the door. Usagi gave the rest of the girls a cool, still slightly hurt, smile before she waved and followed her overly excited friend out the door and down the temple steps. In the room, the three remaining friends exchanged looks of confusion.

oOo

"So, I'm thinking the pretty blue dress! You know, the strappy one that comes to your knees? With your white heels! I'll do your make-up and…" They were walking down the sidewalk toward Usagi's house and Minako had not stopped making suggestions since they'd left the temple. 

Finally, Usagi stopped and turned to her friend, halting her mid-sentence. "So, how about you tell me exactly what's going on," she demanded with raised eyebrows and her hands propped onto her hips. Her tone was serious, and her eyes hardened as she glared knowingly at the blonde . Minako's smile instantly faded into a look of confusion and… _was that worry_?

"Wh-what do you mean?" She stuttered, and averted her gaze, pointedly picking at an invisible piece of lint on her sleeve. Usagi's eyes narrowed, her suspicions confirmed simply by Minakos reaction, and pointed at her in an accusatory manner.

"You and I both know that Motoki doesn't like me as anything more than a friend. So why would he ask me out?" She demanded firmly. Minako knew something and she intended to get to the bottom of it.

Minako blinked in rapid fire. "You never know…maybe he has…"

"Save it!" Usagi interjected angrily. "I want answers, Aino!"

"Why would I know…"

"Because this is your plan!" Usagi spat, her eyes blazing fire.

Minako's eyes widened. Like a blue-eyed doe caught in headlights. "How do you…"

Usagi snorted, promptly interrupting her. "Oh, this has _you_ written all over it. Just tell me what's going on!" Usagi demanded. She was not fond of being made a fool of, and that is exactly how she currently felt.

Minako sighed with defeat. "Okay, Usagi, okay. You're right. This was my idea. We thought that if…if _someone_ thought you two were dating…well, they might get jealous…and…ya know…do something about it," she stuttered, a nervous grimace etched into her face.

Usagi's eyes widened. "Wait…so you're using me?" She breathed accusingly, her tone laced with unfettered disbelief.

Minako's face reddened hotly and she ducked her head in shame. "Well…"

"So, you are both just using me to try and make Reika jealous?" Usagi questioned again.

"See…" She started to explain, then stopped abruptly. "Wait, Reika?"

Usagi sighed with exasperation. "I get it! Motoki is trying to get Reika back and thinks that making her jealous will help, right?" She questioned, more than a little annoyed, but relieved to at least have some kind of explanation.

Minako's contrite expression brightened considerably. "Right!" She exclaimed excitedly. "That's exactly right. You're exactly right. We can't get anything past you," she commended her best friend, while nodding and waving a slender finger in the air beside her face. Usagi smiled, proud of herself for figuring it out, then twisted back around and continued their walk toward her house.

Minako fell in beside her, a knowing smirk on her face. Why hadn't she thought of that before? Just tell Usagi they were trying to trick Reika, not Mamoru. Of course she would be down to help Motoki win the love of his life back! Minako wanted to smack herself for not having thought of that idea sooner.

In all actuality, Usagi was right. This could help Motoki out, too. What better way to get those two back together than to make Reika jealous as hell over Usagi. And at the same time, this would help Mamoru realize his feelings too. Win-win for everyone!

Minako grew very excited! Even more so than before!

"You know, you guys could have just told me about this. I would have done it in a heartbeat." Usagi said thoughtfully. Minako smiled at her friend.

"I'm sorry, Usagi. You're right. We should have told you."

Usagi stopped and turned to Minako with a wicked grin. "Now let's go get me ready for this date!" She squealed. Minako clapped her hands excitedly and the two ran off to Usagi's.

oOo


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Usagi arrived at the arcade exactly at 6, and surprised her date. Motoki stood up and away from his seat in the booth, a smile on his lips, as she made her way toward them. Mamoru sat across from him. They'd been discussing their latest physics paper when his blond-haired friend had stopped mid-sentence. With a frown, Mamoru turned his head, and followed his gaze.

That's when his heart stopped.

A blue cornflower dress clung to her tiny body, hugged her breasts, and cinched at her waist before flowing freely just past her knees. White strappy heels laced halfway up her calf, giving her a few inches. A silver heart locket lay around her neck with a bracelet on her wrist to match. She wore light makeup that highlighted the natural beauty of her eyes, cheeks and lips.

She was _stunning_.

"You look gorgeous!" Motoki praised when she reached them, as he eyed Usagi appreciatively. The motion didn't pass over Mamoru and he glared in response. She smiled at the compliment. "Doesn't she look beautiful, Mamoru?" Motoki asked his friend, elbowing him in the ribs. Mamoru's eyes widened at being put on the spot and his breath caught in his throat. He looked toward his friend as Motoki tilted his head to Usagi, expecting an answer. Mamoru quickly concealed his shock with a look of indifference, stood, and crossed his arms.

"I guess you clean up all right, Odango." He sneered with forced nonchalance. Motoki rolled his eyes, and Usagi sighed with disappointment and turned her attention back onto her date.

"You look great too, 'Toki." She responded softly with a dazzling smile. Motoki blushed a little, which caused Mamoru to roll his eyes.

Motoki wore a pair of khakis and a white button up shirt. His hair was slightly gelled and dressy shoes donned his feet. He was very handsome.

"The necklace isn't mine," she said, as if it needed explaining. She touched the heart and looked down at it. "Minako let me borrow it."

"I didn't think it looked like something you would wear, but it is very pretty," Motoki commented, picking her necklace up from around her neck and looking it over before letting it drop back onto her chest. Usagi smiled and blushed again, as she nibbled her bottom lip.

"So…what's the plan?" Mamoru asked through gritted teeth. Usagi and Motoki both looked at him with confusion before Motoki turned back to Usagi, telling _her_ the answer.

"I thought we could go get something to eat and then maybe go to the amusement park?" He asked hopefully. Beside him, Mamoru stiffened. Usagi lit up, her blue eyes widening with excitement.

"That sounds fantastic!" She said excitedly. Motoki grinned at her enthusiastic response, and Mamoru rolled his eyes again.

"That little Italian place by the park sound good to you?" He suggested, and she nodded with excitement.

"Isn't that place a little expensive for a first date?" Mamoru spat venomously. Usagi rolled her eyes, and Motoki's head snapped up to him, his eyes wide with shock. Mamoru shrugged indifferently. "I'm just saying. Kinda makes it look like you're trying too hard." Motoki's jaw dropped at his friend's audacity.

Usagi huffed and moved to link her arm with Motoki's. She looked up, a gentle smile on her features. "I think it sounds lovely," she said softly. He smiled back down at her.

"Let's get going," he said. She nodded with agreement. "Bye, Mamoru," he waved to his tall friend. Mamoru gave a flick of his wrist in response and annoyance as he watched the two leave.

Internally, Motoki was laughing. He had expected a response from Mamoru but not quite to that extent. Trying too hard? _Really_? What a rude thing to say! And to his own friend! Motoki wasn't quite expecting that.

He was enjoying the spark of anger and jealousy that seemed to be emanating from his best friend. Maybe this could actually work! He would have to admit that Minako was right. There would be no living this one down.

He looked down to Usagi as they walked down the sidewalk. Suddenly, he felt extremely guilty. What happened if Usagi _did_ fall for him instead of realizing her feelings for Mamoru? What if Mamoru admitted his feelings to her and Usagi has fallen for him instead of his best friend? How hurt would Usagi be when she found out all of this was a ruse? That Motoki was using her to try and get his two best friends together? He suddenly felt sick.

They reached the restaurant and Motoki seriously considered telling Usagi the truth. He would wait until dessert, when she would be at her happiest. It would be easier to give her this news when she was eating something sweet.

"Table for two?" The hostess asked.

"Please," Motoki answered.

"Right this way." She led them to a private table in the back and sat them down with menus. Motoki pulled out Usagi's chair for her, like a gentleman should. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"We will take two glasses of your best sweet wine," Motoki smiled. The hostess nodded with a smile and left. Usagi looked around in wonder.

"Mamoru was right. This place is fancy shmancy." She said.

"Fancy shmancy, huh?" Motoki laughed.

She giggled and blushed slightly. "This isn't too much?" She questioned. He smiled sweetly at her.

"It's perfect," he answered. Her blush deepened and she looked down at her menu. Motoki decided then that he would enjoy this date while it lasted.

They ordered their food, Usagi generously did not pick the most expensive thing on the menu, spoke animatedly about random things, as they laughed at each other's jokes and commented on mutual experiences and stories. Things were going great and they both seemed to be having a great time.

After dessert was ordered, Motoki prepared himself to reveal the truth. "Usagi," he started slowly. "I have something I need to confess." He took a deep breath, as Usagi took a bite of her chocolate cake.

She smiled knowingly. "That you're using me to make someone jealous?" She asked nonchalantly and took another bite of her cake. "This is so delicious! Want a bite?" She exclaimed and Motoki choked on his drink and looked at her with a shocked expression on his face.

"What?!" he choked, sputtering hoarsely in disbelief.

She glanced up at him, startled by his reaction. "Isn't that what you were about to tell me?" She questioned and tilted her head to the side with confusion. "That you just took me out on this date to make someone jealous?"

Motoki was speechless. "How…who…I don't…" He stammered, and forcibly swallowed around the lump of embarrassment that lodged in his throat.

Usagi laughed and arched an amused golden brow as she took a sip of her drink. "Minako told me," she confessed, her eyes glinting conspiratorially. Her date's eyes grew to an unimaginable size as the blood drained from his face. "It's okay, 'Toki." She reassured and reached for his hand across the table. "I don't mind at all."

"You don't mind?" he muttered, astonished. _Was she interested in making Mamoru jealous?_ He wondered in disbelief as he studied her face.

She graced him with a dazzling smile and nodded. "This will be fun!" She proclaimed brightly and took her hand back.

It felt like he couldn't breathe; he was _so_ confused. "Fun?" He murmured, slack-jawed, and eyes wide with disbelief.

Usagi blinked, long lashes fluttering as she watched him closely. "I mean, I know how much you love Reika…"

 _What?_ "Reika?" He was completely confused now.

"…And you two really are meant to be together. And if I can somehow help by pretending to be your girlfriend and making her jealous, I'm all in!" She sounded extremely excited as she took another bite of her cake.

"Reika…" he pondered. He truly hadn't thought about how this would affect his beautiful ex. He did indeed _desperately_ want her back. Could this plan work with Reika, too?

"Motoki," she spoke softly, drawing his attention back to her as she took his hand again. "This will work. I promise," she reassured with firm conviction and a comforting smile.

He swallowed nervously underneath her innocent stare. "Usagi…" he trailed off, uncertain how to proceed. Minako had clearly come up with a different way to keep Usagi in the dark, though the infuriating blonde had _clearly_ forgotten to keep him in the loop.

"I wish you would have told me instead of keeping it a secret," she scolded with frown, though it quickly melted away and was replaced with another bright smile. "But I understand," she said, and comfortingly squeezed his hand. Motoki returned her smile and linked his hand with hers that was already grasping his.

"Thank you, Usagi," he said with a genuine sincerity for his blonde-haired Odangoed girl, whose tender heart made her such an amazing friend.

"It's true..." came a soft voice from beside them. Usagi and Motoki both turned to see the subject of their conversation, Reika, standing in the middle of the restaurant with a shocked expression on her delicate facial features. Out of instinct, Motoki automatically jerked his hand away from Usagi's and stood abruptly, nearly sending his chair skidding backward.

"Reika?" He breathed in disbelief, his heart racing at the sight of her. "What are you doing here?"

"You really are on a date with Usagi?" she asked, pain laced the tone of her voice. Usagi looked between the two as they stared at each other. "Mamoru called…"

"Mamoru?" Motoki asked, his eyes widening with surprise. _It couldn't be_. His best friend wouldn't really run to his ex like this, would he?

"He said you were seeing someone new already, but..." she trailed off, her mouth opened then closed soundlessly. She seemed at a loss for words.

"Reika...listen..." Motoki started, his tone apologetic as he took a tentative step towards her.

Reika took a step back in tandem with his step forward. "No," she insisted, and straightened up as she brushed off her shirt as if adjusting her attitude with her clothes. "It's fine, 'Toki." She smiled a forced smile. "I'm really happy for you." She turned to Usagi and took a deep breath. "Hey, Usagi." Usagi waved timidly, clearly feeling super uncomfortable. Reika quickly glanced back at Motoki. "See you later, Motoki." With that, she spun on her heels and waltzed out of the restaurant.

Motoki stood, rooted in place as he stared at the spot that she'd been standing in with dismay. He felt dizzy, pale and sick to his stomach.

Usagi stood and made her way around the table, lightly placing a comforting hand on his arm. "Go after her, 'Toki," she murmured gently. "It's okay." Motoki stood still for a moment longer before looking at Usagi. Her sweet smile pulled him from his daze.

He _could_ go after her. Seeing him with Usagi may have been enough to convince her that they could work things out. But this mission was supposed to be about Usagi and Mamoru; not him and Reika. He desperately wanted to get his two best friends together. His brows drew together in a contemplative frown. Reika would understand.

 _She had to._

Motoki took a shaky breath, turned, made his way back to the table and sat back down. He gestured for Usagi to rejoin him. She took her seat slowly, and an uncomfortable silence echoed around them.

Motoki took a deep, cleansing breath before looking up from his plate at Usagi and offering her a hesitant smile. "Ready for the amusement park?" He questioned softly.

She frowned, chewed her lower lip nervously as worry flashed through sapphire blue eyes. "Motoki, we really don't have to-"

"Yes, we do," he interrupted her, a little louder than he'd meant to. He looked away and took another deep breath. After a moment, he looked back to her and smiled again. "We do have to," he replied calmly. "I promised you a fun date. That's what we're going to have."

Usagi shook her head in confusion, "But if this plan was to get Reika back, I think you should go after her now. This might be your chance," Usagi insisted. Motoki smiled a genuine smile at her. Usagi was always thinking of someone else, even if it ruined her night.

"If it's going to happen, it will happen later. Tonight is about us." He called the waiter over to get the check and Usagi felt herself blush slightly at his remark. He really was a sweetheart.

Motoki paid for their meal and led Usagi out of the restaurant with a hand on the small of her back. Men around the restaurant were eyeing his date up and down. As her friend, he suddenly felt very protective.

He led her to the car, opened the door for her like a true gentleman. She smiled gratefully as she climbed in. He closed the door and walked around to hop into the driver's seat and headed for the amusement park.

The rest of the night was spent riding rides and playing games. Motoki won Usagi a stuffed penguin and she won him a goldfish. He, in turn, gave the goldfish to a little girl who didn't get one. The kind gesture warmed Usagi's heart.

As the night ended, Motoki drove Usagi back to her apartment. When they pulled up, he jumped out of the driver's seat to open her door. Usagi smiled. _Always the gentleman_. 

He walked her to the front door of her apartment complex where he could see the doorman that would make sure she made it into the elevator to her floor. He always wanted his best friend safe. 

Usagi turned to face him, a smile on her lips. "This was so much fun, Motoki. Thank you for a wonderful night," she said warmly, as she grinned, cheeks flushed with pleasure.

He smiled back, a slight roll of his eyes as he joked, "It was only fun because that kid spewed on the Ferris wheel earlier onto that other kid below him." He chuckled as he remembered the event from the amusement park. Usagi covered her mouth as she laughed, bending over just slightly.

"Oh my God, that poor kid!" She laughed. Motoki smiled at her giggles. "His face..." she said before mimicking the kid covered in puke. She snorted in her laughter, causing her to laugh even more. After a few moments, she calmed down, wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh man, that was priceless." She looked back up at Motoki, took a deep breath and smiled at him. "I'd like to do this again," she said sincerely.

"I would too, Usagi." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you at the arcade tomorrow." She nodded, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. "Goodnight, Usagi."

"Goodnight," she replied and headed into her complex.

From inside, the doorman looked to Motoki and gave him a slight nod. Motoki returned the gesture and headed to his car, a smile on his face.

From the street, an onlooker kept a close watch on the two as they parted ways. He sighed deeply as the girl entered her building after receiving a kiss on the cheek from his friend. Running a hand through his messy black hair, he wondered to himself what he was even doing here. Angry at himself for turning into a sneaky spy, he spun on his heels and headed home.

oOo

Sorry I went MIA there for a few weeks. I had to have surgery and recovery time took much longer than expected. I hope I didn't make your wait time too bad! Please let me know how you're liking this fic by reviewing. Writers love reviews!

Thank you, once again, to my amazing, beautiful, talented bae-tas! Beej88 and Revy679. I couldn't write this without their support…and also their fixing of my story. Hehe

Please take the time to go read Beej88's fic _It's Always Been You._

And if you are a Gundam Wing fan like I am, you MUST go read Revy679's story _Resurrection_.

Both of these ladies have writing abilities like you wouldn't believe. If you support me, please support them. They are my very best friends and deserve so much support and fan base.

One more thing, our joint group, Elite SquadB, just posted the second half of our Wonderland chapter for _What Dreams May Come_. Please let us know if you're liking it! We have many more chapters in the works!

Follow me on tumblr! Ninjettetwitch

Oh, oh! Seriously, one more thing. I'm looking for an artist to draw Elite SquadB a specific kind of picture. If you can draw, please pm me for more details!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When Motoki awoke the next morning, it was with a smile on his face. He blinked the bleary-eyed remnants of sleep out of his eyes and sleepily raked a hand over his face.

Surprisingly, and quite unexpectedly, he'd really enjoyed his 'date' with Usagi the night before. He really enjoyed her company, and after this was all over, he wouldn't mind hanging out with her like that again. Just the two of them, as friends. Hell, if this whole scheme went according to plan, maybe he and Reika could double with Usagi and Mamoru?

He sighed as he climbed out of bed, stretched the kinks out of his neck, and proceeded to get ready for work. Admittedly, they were walking a thin line with this slightly farfetched scheme. He'd considered that this might not be the best way to go about things, and he only hoped that he didn't lose any friends over it. He just wanted everyone to be happy. Was that _really_ too much to ask?

He was still nervously contemplating all of the possible outcomes, and the potential ramifications, of this little charade as he headed out to open the arcade.

oOo

Mina skipped into the arcade, a flurry of blonde hair and bright buoyancy in her demeanor. After a quick scan of the room, her lips curled into a wide, slightly impish, grin at the sight of Usagi seated at the counter. She was all friendly smiles, and bright eyes, her elbow perched onto the counter as she spoke with Motoki.

Mina's eyes glinted with determination as she remembered the conversation she needed to have with these two to make sure that this plan of theirs actually worked. After furtively glancing around to make sure that there was no Mamoru in the vicinity, she bounced over to the open bar stool next to her best friend and plopped down with an exaggerated flourish.

"Hey, guys!" She greeted brightly. Both sets of eyes snapped towards her, and her exclaimed greeting was met with warm smiles. "So," Mina focused her attention onto Motoki, "I heard all about your date last night!"

Motoki's eyes narrowed, an accusing, slightly embarrassed look glinting in his eyes as he turned to Usagi. She shrugged innocently, her cheeks tinged pink, and opened her mouth to defend herself.

Mina dismissively waved her hand and promptly interrupted her. "Don't worry, Motoki," she assured and rolled her eyes with an exasperated huff laced into her tone. "She wouldn't tell me everything. But she _did_ tell me about the Reika and Mamoru incident." Motoki's face fell slightly. But Minako just smiled, straightened her posture, and leaned forward with a guileful glint glistening in her eyes and a wry smile curled onto her lips. "This is good news! We're moving faster than we expected!"

Usagi and Motoki exchanged confused looks before turning back to her.

"Listen! _Reika_ -" she stressed the girl's name while staring at Motoki to convey to him that she wasn't just talking about Reika, "- seems to be pretty upset by this whole situation. We _need_ to milk that!"

"Minako!" Usagi admonished. Minako's expression fell as she turned to her friend. "She was really upset!"

"Yeah. Upset. But not _ready_ ," Minako insisted.

Usagi frowned, "Ready?"

"Yes, ready! She's hurt. Then, she's going to get mad. Then, she is going to realize why she's mad. Because she still has feelings for him. Then, she is going to deny it. And when she can't, that's when she'll be ready." Then Minako looked straight at Motoki. "That's when." She pressed on adamantly.

He knew exactly what she was saying. That's when Mamoru would be ready as well. He would go through all of this too before finally realized his feelings. And then he would do something about it. At least Motoki _hoped_ he would.

Motoki suppressed a grimace and raked a hand through his hair. "So what do we need to do?" he relented.

"'Toki, you don't have to do this," Usagi interjected, her brow creased into a frown. "I really think that last night was enough," she stressed.

Motoki shook his head. "No, Minako is right."

"But..."

" _No_ , Usagi," Motoki demanded, catching both women off guard with his vehement and severe tone of voice. He inhaled deeply to reign in his emotions. "We have to do this right."

Minako nodded sympathetically. She really did understand Motoki's dilemma.

"Okay, so since Mamoru has already run back to Reika to tattle, you have to act like a couple whenever he's around," she exclaimed. Usagi's frown deepened and her expression was etched with confusion. Minako took a deep breath, bit back her urge to laugh gleefully at how _perfectly_ this was going to work and opened her mouth to explain. "He needs to think you guys are dating so he'll run back and tell Reika."

It took a moment, but Minako watched as Usagi's mouth formed an "O", her frown smoothed away, and she nodded her head slowly in understanding.

Minako opened her mouth to go into more detail, but the loud chime of the bell on the door trilled loudly, an indication that someone was entering the arcade. Motoki immediately reached across the counter and firmly clasped Usagi's hand in his.

Usagi smiled, as she'd already concluded, by his actions, that the new arrival must have been Mamoru. She was correct.

Motoki furtively watched from the corner of his eye as Mamoru entered the arcade. His tall, ebony-haired friend stopped dead in his tracks when he saw their hands interlaced intimately together on the top of the counter, his face deadpan.

Motoki finally smiled and waved at his friend, and ushered him over. He watched as the mask that Mamoru used to effectively hide his emotions fell back into place as he tentatively made his way to the counter. He was putting up the wall that Motoki had come to know so well, and had spent so long getting through.

Mamoru took the seat next to Usagi and looked the couple over. "I take it last night went well," he said as more of a statement than a question. Usagi put on her best glowing smile and batted her long lashes at Motoki.

"It sure did! 'Toki took me out to dinner, then to the carnival. It was a wonderful evening!" She smiled. Motoki knew she wasn't just saying that for Mamoru's benefit either. They'd both had a good time.

"Yeah," he smiled back at the blonde. "We had a great time." She bit her bottom lip as she averted her gaze and a pink blush spread across her cheeks.

Minako watched the interaction with fascination, unable to decipher what was genuine and what was contrived when Mamoru loudly cleared his throat beside them. They all turned to look at the irritated, not sullen-faced, Mamoru who was staring at them in disgust.

"I thought this was where I got my coffee. Not a hotel room," he sneered with irritation. Motoki offered Usagi a smile and a wink before going to get his best friend the cup of joe he so desperately needed.

Minako grinned at Usagi, who rolled her eyes. She turned to Mamoru who was now purposefully ignoring them, his brooding gaze firmly fixed ahead of them.

"Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," she teased. He sighed deeply through his nose, still staring straight ahead.

"I didn't sleep well last night," he replied in a monotone voice.

Usagi frowned in confusion. No snappy comeback? That was strange. Instead, the odangoed blonde silently mimicked him, then turned back to Minako. Mamoru closed his eyes, his jaw tightening in frustration.

Motoki walked back up to the counter, a cup of steaming hot coffee in his hands. He frowned at his friend before shooting a look at the girls. Usagi pointed at Mamoru and shrugged. Behind her, there was a glint in Minako's eyes as she grinned. Motoki set the coffee in front of his friend, the clank of the cup on the counter bringing Mamoru out of his reverie.

Mamoru opened his eyes and thanked his blonde friend as he took a large sip. Motoki leaned against the counter toward him. He could feel the girls watching him as he looked his best friend over.

"Mamoru?" He said softly. Mamoru looked up at him over his coffee cup, his eyes tired and bloodshot. Motoki looked at him worriedly. "Are you okay?" Mamoru set the coffee back down on the counter with a sigh.

"I'm fine, Motoki," he replied. "Just tired. I didn't sleep well last night." He rubbed his eyes with his hand. "I think I need to just go home." He stood from the bar and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll see you later." And with that, he walked out of the arcade, three pairs of eyes watching him go.

Minako and Motoki exchanged a glance while Usagi continued to stare at the door a few minutes longer. She finally turned to the two of them slowly.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked, worry laced into her tone.

"I don't know," Motoki answered honestly, shaking his head. They'd only been on one date. Surely he couldn't be this upset over _one date_?

Motoki turned his attention back to Usagi and noticed that she'd become quiet. She was staring at the counter, a contemplative look on her face. He glanced at Minako who had an eyebrow raised and a tiny, almost confused smile on her face as she stared at Usagi. This was bigger reactions than they would have expected for just one night on the town. Things were moving faster than they thought it would.

"Usagi," Motoki called. Usagi looked up with a "hm?" and a smile plastered on her face. He could tell the smile was forced and her mind was elsewhere. "This coming weekend there is a charity ball at the college. It's a very important networking opportunity as many of the alumni will be there to donate money to the school."

"Oh," Usagi was listening intently. "'Toki, that sounds super important. But really fun! You'll have a great time!" She said excitedly. He smiled at her innocence with a slight shake of his head.

"I was kind of hoping _we_ would have a great time," he smiled. She looked a bit confused. "I need a date, Usa." Sometimes she was so naive and innocent. He couldn't help but laugh at the shocked look on her face. Then the shock turned to horror.

"Motoki, that's a bad idea!" She said quickly. Both Motoki and Minako looked at each other with a frown before looking back to Usagi.

"Why is it a bad idea?" He asked, with a confused frown.

Usagi bit her lower lip nervously. "This is an extremely important ball for you! And we all know I'm not the most graceful person in the world…" she trailed off, clearly embarrassed.

Motoki laughed. "Usa, you've gotten so much better since you've gotten older. You're nowhere near as klutzy as when you were 14," He said, his tone indulgent and tender.

"But there will be highfalutin people there. I would have no idea how to talk to them!" She stressed.

"Usagi," Minako interjected. "You just used the word highfalutin. I'm pretty sure your vocabulary has blossomed quite a bit over the years also," she said with a wink.

But Usagi's shoulders still dropped. "I don't know how to dance," she admitted softly, her face reddening with embarrassment.

Motoki smiled and leaned closer to her. "I can teach you how to dance," he offered with a grin. Her responding smile was small and tentative. "The ball isn't until next weekend. I'll have you dancing circles around people." He promised, his grin widening.

Usagi raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "How do you know how to dance?" She asked suspiciously. Motoki grimaced, his eyes glossing over as he sighed, and abruptly straightened his stance.

He gave her a small wistful smile. "Reika," was all he could say. Usagi bit her bottom lip and nodded. Suddenly, Minako cleared her throat next to them to gain their attention.

"So, a ball it is!" She clapped excitedly. "Usagi, we have to go shopping for a new dress! This is going to be so much fun!" Usagi giggled at her enthusiasm. Minako grabbed Usagi's hand, pulling her off of the chair and toward the door. "The girls are waiting for us. We have to go. Bye, Motoki!" She waved. Usagi shrugged at her friend in a 'what are you going to do?' manner as she was being dragged off, which earned a laugh from Motoki.

"Hey, Usagi!" Motoki called as she hit the door and stopped to glance at him over her shoulder. "Dinner tomorrow night?"

Her responding smile was radiant. "Sounds great!" She said with a wave as she was yanked through the door by Minako. Motoki laughed and shook his head. Those two were a trip.

oOo

Minako and Usagi rushed up the steps of the temple where the other three were waiting. They ran into the room and hurriedly sat down.

Rei rolled her eyes."It's about time!" She spat, her tone laced with annoyance.

"Where were you guys?" Makoto asked, passing a donut to Usagi. Usagi's eyes lit up with appreciation as she shoved the sugary treat into her mouth.

"We were talking to Motoki," Minako answered brightly.

"How was your date?" Ami asked curiously, as she peered over the book the was reading to get the answer.

Usagi blushed as she swallowed her donut. "It was...fun," she replied with a smile as she let her mind wander to the memories of her night with Motoki.

"Details!" Makoto said as she leaned forward on her elbows and placed her chin in her hands, a wide grin curled onto her lips. Usagi could feel her face heat up as all the girls' attention turned solely to her.

"Well, we went out to dinner at that new fancy Italian place," she started but was interrupted.

"The place beside the park?" Rei interjected, her violet eyes growing wide. Usagi nodded with a grin, her blond hair bouncing with the movement.

"Oooo, that place is so fancy!" Minako chimed in, and Usagi shot her a look. Minako already knew everything about this "date". There was no reason to act surprised and play into it.

"And expensive," Ami added, receiving a nod from all the girls.

"So, are you guys like a couple now?" Rei asked one perfectly arched eyebrow lifting. Usagi felt her stomach turn. She should probably tell her friends about the arrangement. They wouldn't tell anyone! And maybe they could help her with all of this.

On the other hand, she knew how self-conscious Motoki would be about using her to get Reika back. She didn't want to lie to her friends. But she didn't want to take the risk of messing this up for Motoki.

Biting her bottom lip, she chanced a glance at Minako, who gave her a slight shrug. She could hear her blond friend in her head. _"Tricky situation, Usagi!"_

With a deflated sigh, she decided against telling them. She couldn't risk ruining this for Motoki. The girls would understand. They had to. "I don't know," she finally replied with a shrug and a fake smile. "It's only been one date. But we had a _really_ good time!" At least _that_ , she didn't have to lie about. She really did have a fantastic time with him!

Beside her, Minako raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I think it's great you guys are together," Makoto said with a grin. "It's about time you had a date!"

"And a boyfriend," Minako said with an overexaggerated wink. Usagi rolled her eyes but couldn't help the grin that took over. Motoki definitely wasn't her real boyfriend but it was still fun pretending.

The rest of the night was spent gossiping about boys, school, and life. As the sun set, Usagi let out a big yawn, fatigue setting in.

"I have to go home, you guys," she stretched as she stood.

"Want me to walk home with you?" Minako looked up at her as Usagi gathered her stuff.

"Nah, I'm good. I'll see you guys tomorrow!" She headed through the door with a wave of her hand, her long hair trailing behind her as she left.

oOo

It was completely dark as she headed down the sidewalk, the street lights flickering above her. She held her jacket tight around her as she hurried along. The wind blew slightly around her, rustling some nearby trees and causing a loose can to roll down the nearest alleyway.

Usagi tensed. She hated walking home in the dark. It was probably irrational but she couldn't help the fear that welled up inside her when a bird flew out of a bush on the opposite side of the street. Her breathing hitched and she picked up her pace.

Her heart clenched and she knew she was being silly as she looked around and saw someone in the distance. On the opposite side of the road, walking towards her, was a tall, dark figure. She slowed and tripped over her own feet, catching herself on the wall as the man slowed. She looked around quickly, finding an alley and slipping into it. She pressed her back to the wall and held her breath as she heard the footsteps coming closer, crossing the street in an attempt to reach her.

She closed her eyes, trying her best to melt into the wall and become invisible when - "Odango?" a deep baritone voice called out. She screeched and jumped, recognizing the voice immediately. She clutched her chest, her heart racing as she turned to the man standing in the entrance of the alley, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Damnit, baka! You scared me!" She bent over, trying to catch her breath, both hands on her knees.

"What the hell are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" He asked, motioning to the darkness that surrounded them.

Usagi rolled her eyes as she straightened, a hand popping onto her hip. "I'm going home, baka. Duh!" She moved out of the alley, walking around him and heading back down the sidewalk.

Mamoru quickly caught up with her, grasping her arm gently to being her to a halt. "You can't walk home by yourself in the dark. It's dangerous," concern laced his voice as he looked at her worriedly.

"This is a good neighborhood-" she started but his eyes widened as he cut her off.

"Bad people still live in good neighborhoods, Odango Atama! Just let me walk you home so I know you're okay," he stressed.

Her heart tightened and she bit her bottom lip as she smiled softly. She looked down at her feet for a moment before pulling away and taking a tentative few steps away from him. "Well, well, well, baka. I didn't know you cared." She smiled over her shoulder and the tension in his features melted away into a real smile. He took a few steps to meet up with her and they started walking together.

"Well, God forbid anything should happen to you, Odango. Who would I tease every day?" He grinned down at her and she chuckled into her hand.

"You know, you _could_ lay off once and a while. How am I ever going to find a guy when you're always throwing out my flaws, willy nilly." Her arms flailed in the air and he couldn't help the laugh that escaped him.

She'd never actually heard him laugh. Like a real laugh. Sure, she'd heard that condescending chuckle he gave when he knew he was pissing her off. But this was an actual laugh. And she liked it.

Suddenly, he went quiet. She looked up to see the smile had disappeared from his face. He stared at the ground as the walked.

"Hellooo?" She jumped in front of him, walking backward so she could wave a hand in his face. "Baaaakkaaaa! Are you in there?" She snapped her fingers before suddenly tripping over a rock and falling. Strong hands shot out, grabbing her waist and setting her back on her feet. She looked up in wonder, finding his face still crestfallen.

He took a deep breath. "Like Motoki?"

She frowned in confusion. "Motoki?"

"'Never going to find a guy'...you mean a guy like Motoki?" The pain in his voice was apparent and she didn't understand it at all. Why was he upset?

"Yeah... Motoki…" she replied carefully. His hands dropped from her waist and he stepped around her, continuing down the sidewalk. She twisted and headed back to his side. They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"I can't believe you're dating Motoki," he said quietly, more to himself than to her.

"It was one date," Usagi giggled softly.

"I thought you were over that silly little crush," Mamoru sneered. Usagi frowned up at him but he looked straight ahead, not meeting her eyes.

"I am! I don't have a "silly crush!" I'm not a child anymore, baka!" She replied angrily.

"Then why are you dating him?" He retorted hotly, stopping in his tracks and facing her. Her eyes widened at the audacity.

"Mamoru! It's only been one date!" She laughed. She couldn't really be defending her "relationship" with Motoki to _Mamoru,_ of all people, could she?

"So you aren't going to go back out with him?" he demanded. She remained silent for a moment, contemplating her answer.

"Actually...he asked me out for tomorrow night." She looked to face the disbelief on his face. He scoffed and shook his head before taking back off down the sidewalk. She ran to catch up with him. "I just don't see what the big deal is," she said to herself. He didn't respond; instead, sticking his hands in his pockets and huffing to himself.

They walked in silence side by side, neither looking at each other. The air was cool and crisp and she hugged her jacket tighter around herself and crossed her arms across her chest, a shiver running down her back. He sighed beside her and removed his jacket, leaning over to drape it over her shoulders. She looked over at him out of the corner of her eyes and there was just a hint of sparkle in his.

"Thank you," she muttered. He nodded, still not looking at her. She grasped the edges of the jacket, pulling it tighter around her. The smell of cedar and roses wafted around her and she closed her eyes as she inhaled the strong scent that was Mamoru.

He stopped suddenly and she had taken a few steps before realizing it. She halted and turned to face him, seeing him staring off to the side. "What's wrong now?"

"We're here," he said, calmly and she followed his gaze to see they were indeed standing in front of her apartment complex.

"Oh…" Even with their arguing, over something she _still_ didn't understand, she hadn't been ready for their walk to end yet. Even with the anger between them, it was still a comfortable silence that she was actually enjoying for once.

She took a few steps toward him, biting her bottom lip as she pulled off his jacket and handed it over. "Well, thank you for walking me home...Mamoru…" she said shyly, a small smile on her lips. He smiled back at hearing her say his actual name. As she turned to head into the complex, she stopped and turned to look at him, confused. "Wait...how did you know to stop here? That this was my complex?"

Mamoru's eyes widened slightly. "'Toki told me…" he said, "when you first moved in. He told me where you moved."

She nodded slowly, not really sure if she believed him or not, and turned back to the building. "Bye, baka!"

"See you tomorrow...Usagi," he said softly but she still heard it. She paused for a moment but decided against looking back before continuing into her building, smiling to herself.

oOo

Guys….this surgery has been awful for me. I'm still in recovery. I'm so sorry this took so long to update. It's not been fun at all. But I hope this chapter was at least fun for you! What do you think?

Thank you, as always, to my best friends and wonderful bae-tas, Beej88 and Revy679. And just a reminder of our group, Elite SquadB. New chapters are coming to _What Dreams May Come._ We hope you enjoy it!


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, guys! I'm so sorry this next update took so long to get to you. Recovery time after my surgery was God awful and I wouldn't wish that on anyone! Took waaaay longer than I expected. Anyway, here is chapter 5! I really hope you like it. It's starting to get a little intense 😉

Thank you to my, as always, wonderful bae-tas and fellow Elite SquadB members, Revy679 and Beej88, for fixing all my mistakes and offering advice on the chapters. This story wouldn't be the same without you two!

~*~v~*~

Motoki moved down the counter and placed a large shake in front of his blond co-conspirator. She grinned through a mouthful of cheeseburger. "Fank oo!" Her words were muffled as she grabbed the milkshake and took a large sip. He shook his head with an amused smile and watched incredulously as she managed to swallow the oversized, half-chewed bite of food in her mouth.

"So, what's the plan tonight?" Mina asked, wiping some ketchup from the corner of her mouth. She looked at her own thumb before sticking it in her mouth, cleaning it of the condiment.

Motoki grinned as he leaned his elbows onto the scuffed countertop. "I'm thinking dinner at the burger joint and then a movie?" He was actually excited to go have some fun tonight. The stress of knowing his best friend was hurting because of all of this was weighing heavily on his mind. Seeing the look on Mamoru's face after just one date had been a little soul crushing. But at the same time, it gave him the motivation to keep going. This could _actually_ work!

"She loves movies! And burgers! What movies are playing?" Minako took another huge bite of her cheeseburger, her cheeks puffing out as she chewed, blinking up at him with round, curiosity-filled eyes.

"I think-" he was interrupted, suddenly, as the bell above the arcade door jingled noisily as it opened, and he looked up to greet the newcomer. His smile faded and his breath caught in his throat as he straightened. "Reika."

Minako frowned and followed his gaze to see Reika standing in the doorway, her expression inscrutable as she coolly stared at him. She stopped chewing, swallowing nervously as the tension in the room becoming thick enough to slice a knife through it.

Reika took a deep breath and slowly made her way to the counter, her movements graceful and calculated. "Hi, Motoki," she murmured breathily, a soft smile gracing her lips. "How have you been?"

Motoki forcibly swallowed around the uncomfortable lump lodged in his throat. "I'm okay. H-how are you?" He stuttered nervously and caught a glimpse of Minako rolling her eyes just on the edge of his peripheral vision. The blonde continued to chew her food, albeit more slowly, as her eyes fixed curiously on them.

"I'm good. I'm good," she replied, and Motoki noted that she didn't sound convincing at all, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably. It didn't help that Minako lifted a perfectly manicured eyebrow in amusement.

He cleared his throat and forced himself to ignore Minako as he focused solely on Reika. "That's good," he replied tentatively, as he uncomfortably fiddled with his apron. "Soo…." It was clear that his words were strained as he struggled to find the right words to say. What _was_ he supposed to say to her?

"So," she began, effectively taking over the conversation, and he waited with bated breath to hear what was coming next. "The ball is this weekend…" She began, her tone tentative, her eyes wide, and full of a vulnerability that filled Motoki with dread. "I guess you're going, right?" She asked shyly, a prodding question layered in her tone. Motoki swallowed and nodded. Silence fell between them as neither knew what to say next.

Minako rolled her eyes again and swallowed the huge bite she had been slowly chewing. "He's taking Usagi," she blurted out. Motoki shot a glare in her direction and she shrugged, her eyes going wide like she had no idea what the big deal was.

Reika looked at Minako, crestfallen, before turning back to Motoki. "Great," she replied sadly, a fake smile plastered across her face. "I'll be there, too. It'll be nice to see you...and Usagi. I'm sure she'll look beautiful."

Motoki breath hitched painfully in his throat, and it felt like his heart was breaking all over again. He was sure that Usagi _would_ look beautiful. But the image of Reika in a gorgeous gown...that was all he really wanted to see. He opened his mouth, willing himself to say something to make her feel better. The look on her face was truly heart wrenching, but he couldn't seem to find the right words.

Minako's eyes shot between both of them and she huffed at the tension-filled silence that had fallen in between them. "She's going to be gorgeous!" She exclaimed excitedly with a haughty toss of glossy blonde hair over her shoulder. Motoki closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he suppressed a groan of aggravation. He knew what Minako was doing...but it didn't mean he had to like it. "We're going shopping for a dress later. I'm sure you'll look _gorge_ too! You did say that you were going, right?" Reika nodded wordlessly. "Great!" Minako clapped. "You guys will have _so_ much fun!"

Reika managed a small, forced smile with a slight nod of her head. "Yeah...fun...okay, well, I guess I'll see you there, 'Toki." She stammered, a dull blush tinging her cheeks, as she backed away from the counter. With one last fleeting look, she swiveled around and made her way out of the arcade. Motoki stared at the door before slowly turning to glare at Minako.

Her eyes widened innocently as she blinked up at him. "What? _You_ weren't saying anything! And this is a _good_ thing! Did you see how super jelly she was?" She said with an impish grin curled onto rosy-hued lips.

"I saw how _hurt_ she was," Motoki growled with irritation.

Minako sighed, "It's seriously unfortunate, but she's realizing how much she misses you. _Especially_ since you've moved on."

Motoki scoffed in disbelief, "But I haven't moved on!" He snapped, and he couldn't help the way his voice rose an octave, tinged with anger.

She sighed, a long-suffering, overly dramatic sigh, that thoroughly annoyed him. "But _she_ doesn't know that! For all she knows, you're dating Usagi now!" She stressed and Motoki growled and ran his hands over his face in barely restrained frustration. "I have a feeling this is all going to come to a foot at the ball. Trust me, 'Toki. This is working...for everyone…"

Motoki's heart clenched painfully in his chest, and he sighed painfully as he stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't even be bothered to correct her idiom. His stomach hurt and he felt like he couldn't breathe. The pain on her face, the look in her eyes...he couldn't take it.

He leaned forward on the counter, banging his head against it when the arcade door opened again. When he finally lifted his head, Usagi had made her way to the counter, seating herself across from him with a frown creased on her brow. "Motoki. What's wrong?" She asked, her tone laced with concern as she gently laid a delicate hand on his arm.

Motoki straightened, and forcibly plastered a small smile on his face. "It's just been a rough day," he replied and hoped that the look on his face or the tone of his voice wasn't giving away his internal anguish.

Usagi frowned, unconvinced and promptly turned to Minako for answers.

"You just missed Reika," Minako answered. Usagi's eyebrows shot into her bangs as she turned back to Motoki, gaging his reaction as she listened to Minako. "She's super jealous! She didn't come right out and say it but it was written all over her face."

Usagi frowned. "Maybe you should go after her," Usagi offered, her eyes wide with concern.

Motoki's frown deepened, and he quickly glanced over at the door where Reika had just disappeared. The broken look on her face thoroughly etched into his mind. He shifted, drumming his fingers across the counter as he seriously contemplated Usagi's suggestion. He _could_ chase her, explain what was going on, tell her he still loved her, that he wanted her back. But how would that impact their plan for Mamoru…

Motoki sighed with resigned defeat and shook his head.

Usagi smiled softly, "Do you want to cancel our date tonight? I would completely understand," she offered, her tone filled with a sweet sincerity that made Motoki smile. Usagi was always trying to look out for everyone else.

He took her hands in his. "I could definitely use some fun tonight, Usa. We're going out," he grinned. Her smile widened, and her face lit up brightly. It made his heart feel light again. "Let's see what's playing," he said with a wink as he released her hands and reached into his back pocket to pull out his phone. They both leaned over the counter towards each other, their faces inches apart in an attempt to see the screen as he swiped across the screen to pull up the movie listings.

They were both thoroughly distracted, firmly entrenched in perusing the movie listings, that they only dimly heard the bell above the arcade door as it opened once more. "Be right with ya," Motoki called out without looking. He huffed in aggravation as he scrolled, which elicited an amused giggle from Usagi. Why couldn't they find one silly website that clearly listed what movies were playing in what theater, and at what time?

A figure approached the counter, standing two stools down from where Usagi sat. Motoki took a moment to peer up at the new arrival to be greeted by Mamoru, who stood, his gaze fixed on the pair, his eyes wide with shock.

The corner of Motoki's lips quirked up into a lopsided grin. "Hey, Mamoru! Do you happen to know what movies are playing tonight?" He questioned, his tone chipper, as Mamoru's gaze darted between the couple, a confused frown furrowing with irritation on his brow.

He let out a bark of disbelieving laughter. "You're actually going out again?" he demanded incredulously. Motoki's brow drew together into a frown of confusion. Why wouldn't they be going out again?

"Yeah," he replied as he reached over and took Usagi's hand, giving her a sweet smile. "We've been having a lot of fun, haven't we, Usagi?" He directed at Usagi. She giggled with a nod as a crimson blush crept becomingly onto her cheeks. He smiled at her reaction. At least she was having fun as much as he was.

Motoki turned back to Mamoru and his smile faded. Mamoru's shock had turned to anger and it was a little disconcerting. Usagi spun in her seat toward him, a smile on her face.

"Oh, Mamoru," she said sweetly. Motoki and Minako looked at each other. _Mamoru?_ Not _baka?_ __Mamoru turned his attention to the blonde, his anger only lessening slightly. "Thank you for walking me home last night." She bit her bottom lip slightly and Motoki shot wide eyes to Minako, who grinned wildly in response. _Usagi was flirting!_

Mamoru didn't catch on though, instead glaring daggers in her direction. "Don't go home in the dark again, _Odango!_ I won't be there to walk you again!" Usagi's smile dropped as he turned on his heels and headed for the door.

"Wait! Mamoru! Don't you want a coffee or something?" Motoki called.

Without turning around, Mamoru yelled out, "No!" And he stomped out the door.

Motoki looked to Minako. She winked and he gave her a small, hidden smirk before turning back to Usagi, whose bright expression had dulled as she glared at the counter with a sullen scowl that quickly turned into an angry sneer.

" _What_ was all _that_ about?" Minako exclaimed loudly and slapped her hands on the counter, making Usagi jump. "He walked you home last night?"

Usagi nodded, her expression softening sadly. "Yeah. He saw me on the way home last night and walked me the rest of the way. Said it wasn't safe to be walking in the middle of the night alone," she murmured miserably.

"I _did_ offer to walk with you, ya know!" Minako crossed her arms defensively and Usagi rolled her eyes.

"That was nice of him," Motoki ventured, a smile on his lips. Walking her home...what a big improvement so quickly. Much quicker than he'd planned. Maybe Minako was right and this would all be over at the gala! It was only a few days away.

Usagi nodded sadly and took a deep breath. Then, with the fakest smile he'd ever seen, she shook her head as if to clear her thoughts and leaned back over the counter towards him. "So... let's pick this movie."

He shot Minako one more knowing look before leaning back towards the girl in front of him, peering furtively at her expression, as he scrolled through his phone. It was clear that Usagi was softening towards Mamoru, too. Otherwise, his outburst —which was frankly tame compared to his usual sullen spats— would not affect her so much.

He inwardly reminded himself that this was a good thing in the long run, and they decided on a burger joint and a comedy playing in a movie theater a block from his place. With a sigh and a smile, Usagi left to get ready for their date. After that little encounter with Mamoru, he wanted to make sure that she had fun tonight, as well. They both needed a good time.

oOo

Usagi skipped out of her apartment complex and headed down the sidewalk. She was definitely excited about this date with Motoki. They were meeting at Bozer's, a local burger place. Her stomach rumbled and she clutched it as familiar pains of hunger wracked her body. She'd purposely not eaten earlier so she would be hungry for dinner. And she was _starving_.

She also really needed this date tonight. Her encounter with Mamoru earlier at the arcade had thrown her for a loop. And she wasn't entirely sure _why_. After he'd walked her home, she kinda felt like things had changed a bit between them. He'd even given her his jacket instead of making fun of her for not having one!

And seriously, _why_ was he so upset about her dating Motoki? They weren't even really dating! Of course, she couldn't tell him that. He would blow the secret to Reika and then this whole plan would have been for _nothing!_ She couldn't have that. Not after all the work they had put into this massive undertaking.

And really, it wasn't that much work. Her time with Motoki had been extremely fun! Why didn't they hang out more?! Well, she knew one thing. After all this was said and done with, they would be hanging out all the time! Well...Reika permitting. She wasn't really sure how Reika would take to her after all this. Usagi would hate it if they couldn't be friends because she fake-dated Reika's ex-boyfriend!

Usagi turned the corner onto a busy street when she slammed hard into someone else, her thoughts flying from her along with her breath. She felt herself falling and closed her eyes in preparation for impact when a strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. When she failed to hit the concrete, she opened one eye to peer up at her savior. Her heart immediately deflated at the realization that it was the same _baka_ she had been thinking about moments ago.

Mamoru pulled her against his chest and into a standing position. And the second her feet steadied themselves on the pavement, she placed her hands on his hard chest and pushed her way out of the warmth of his arms.

"I don't need your help, _baka_ ," she spat, even though in that moment, she actually _had_ needed his help, or she would have a bruised tailbone...again! It never seemed to fail that he was always the one she crashed into, sending her reeling to the ground. But like she would ever admit that to _him._

She took a step back and brushed her pants off before looking up at him, catching him as he eyed her up and down. His breath caught in his throat and she heard it. She smiled, knowing damn well how good she looked. One might even say _sexy_.

This evening, she'd chosen a short-sleeved, peach-colored shirt in a light, stretchy nylon material. It had a scooped neckline that rippled loosely around her chest, before cinching into a wide band around her tightened abdomen. An inch of milky-white skin exposed alluringly beneath the bottom seam of her shirt. She also sported a pair of tight jeans that hugged her hips and bellbottomed around her ankles. On her feet she wore slightly heeled peach sandals that matched the color of her shirt.

She _knew_ she looked good! And by the look on Mamoru's face, he knew it too. Usagi smiled to herself as she made to step around him. "Excuse you," she sneered, but was startled as a hand grabbed her arm. She stopped and looked at him confused.

"Listen," he swallowed. "About earlier…"

Oh, no! He wasn't going to just apologize and think everything was okay! With a curl of her lip, she yanked her arm out of his grasp. "I'm late," she scowled. "You know, for my date." Mamoru looked like she had just punched him in the stomach. But she didn't give herself time to dwell on why as she took off down the street, hurrying to her destination.

 _She was starving!_

oOo

Motoki sat in a booth, reading over the menu when a particular blond slid in across from him. He looked up with a smile, only to be greeted by Usagi with a grimace on her face.

He frowned with concern. "You okay, Usa?"

"Ugh," she sighed with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "Just your _friend._ Being all _annoying_ and stuff," she huffed and shook her head, as if ridding herself from thoughts of the man who obviously irritated her... _again_!

Motoki eyed Usagi for a moment as she grabbed up her menu and began reading it over. He watched with amusement as she scrutinized her options, her nose scrunching up as she found various options she was not impressed with. Her eyes lit up with excitement, though, as she saw things she wanted.

He chuckled, gaining her attention. "What?" Her eyes were wide and innocent as stared at him and he couldn't help the rumble of laughter that took over him. She grinned as he laughed, even joining in a bit and giggling behind her hand.

Once he started, he couldn't stop; the hilarity of the situation they now found themselves in bringing tears to his eyes. Her laughter grew with his and he knew the whole restaurant had to be staring at them.

As his laughter slowed, he wiped his eyes and looked in her direction. She had calmed down as well, daintily drying her face with a napkin so as to not mess up her perfectly applied makeup. He hadn't seen her laugh this hard in a while and knew it had been quite a long time for himself as well.

"We're so stupid," he said with a grin and a sigh.

"What, this?" Usagi motioned between the two of them, indicating their date and he nodded with a smile. "Oh, yeah. Completely idiotic," she joked. "But it's working!" Her eyes twinkled mischievously, and he chuckled again. At that moment, he noticed a certain _friend_ walk past the window outside, glancing in at their table before scurrying off.

"Yeah," he grinned. "It definitely is." He looked back to her as he picked up his menu. "So, you hungry?"

Usagi "pfted" loudly, picking up her own menu and running her eyes over it. "Look who you're talking to, 'Toki. I'm _always_ hungry."

Motoki laughed again. He had definitely needed this date.

oOo

Reika sighed as she stood at the snack counter of the cinema. This had been just an awful week! Her breakup with Motoki had been the worst moment of her life. But this week...knowing he had moved on with Usagi...and _so quickly..._ her heart was shattered.

She couldn't believe it when Mamoru had called to tell her that Motoki had made a date. And with Usagi, of all people. Reika had thought they were all friends. But apparently not. She felt betrayed by the blonde, and she knew she _used_ to have a crush on Motoki. Or, Reika _thought_ it was 'used to'. Had she just been waiting for her chance to swoop in and claim Motoki for her own?

Mamoru had made it clear on the phone that Motoki had been the one to ask Usagi; not the other way around. That had been soul crushing. But she knew in her heart, Usagi _had_ to be the one pulling the strings. She just _had to be!_

She didn't believe Mamoru at first. There was no way Motoki could be out with someone else so quickly! But Mamoru had insisted, saying he was there when they left for their dinner date, and told her where they were going to eat; the little Italian place by the park. She had to know for herself.

So she went to the restaurant, sure that Mamoru has been mistaken. Her stomach twisted as she walked through the door and looked around. That's when she saw them, intimately holding hands. She immediately felt sick, running out of the restaurant in tears. She half expected him to follow her out; but he didn't. He hadn't called, hadn't apologized, hadn't checked to see if she was okay, _nothing_!

Reika had given it a few dates, thinking Motoki would come to his senses and realize he wasn't ready to be dating anyone yet. But when she walked into the arcade this morning to ask if he would go to the gala with her only to realize he was taking Usagi, she was crushed. How could he move on so fast? Had what they had meant so little to him?

After a full day of crying and eating ice cream, she had decided she needed to get out and do something instead of sitting around thinking about them. She needed to laugh; needed to feel better, at least for the moment. So, she had opted for a movie; a comedy. She cleaned herself up and headed to the theater.

She had thought about inviting some friends to go with her, but she knew how that would play out. It would be a pity party for Reika and she did _not_ want that. She didn't need people feeling sorry for her and trying overly hard to cheer her up. It would only make her feel worse. So, she had opted to go alone, knowing that right now, it would be more fun.

That's how she found herself at the counter, buying a large tub of butter popcorn and a soda. After paying the man at the register and offering him a small smile, she grabbed her popcorn and drink and turned to head in to find her seat. That's when she saw them.

Her popcorn dropped to the floor, kernels spilling all over the gaudy green and blue swirled carpet, as she watched Motoki and Usagi walk in and head straight into the theater to the seat. Motoki's hand was on the small of her back, leading her inside. She knew what Motoki did at the theater; have them find their seats first, and then he would go get them both snacks from the bar.

As she watched them disappear behind the door, her blood boiled. How dare he. _How dare he_ move on so quickly while she still cried herself to sleep at night over him! Her hands clenched into fists beside her as he jaw tightened. How could he _do_ this to her?!

 _Fine!_ If this is how he wanted to play it, she could play, too! Without a look back, she headed for the door.

oOo

She had absolutely no patience at all as she banged on his apartment door continuously. Motoki wanted to take someone else to the gala? So would she!

Reika almost fell through the door with the force of her rapping as the door whipped open. Mamoru stood in the archway, his eyes wide with confusion and a drink in his hand.

"Reika?" His voice was hoarse, and his breath smelled like whiskey. She frowned, her eyebrows knitting in confusion.

"Are you drinking?" She asked, her voice laced with judgment. Mamoru didn't drink often. And certainly not by himself.

He scoffed with indignation. "What do you want, Reika?" She brushed past him, pushing her way into his apartment. "Come on in," he muttered, and she rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore his sarcasm as he shut the door behind her and followed her into the living room. "Want a drink?" He offered as he went to the kitchen and pulled her out a glass. He poured her some whiskey and brought it back out to the living room, handing it to her.

She took a sip, making a slight face as the burn trailed down, making her insides warm. "Smooth," she hissed, and it was true. Trust Mamoru to pay the big bucks to buy the smoothest whiskey.

Mamoru sighed as he set his own cup down on the coffee table. "What's going on, Reika?"

"How could he do this to me, Mamoru?" she said between clenched teeth and his eyebrows raised.

"Wha-" but she promptly cut him off with a growl of frustration.

"Motoki! How could he just move on like that? So fast!" She was on the verge of tears again and had to forcefully restrain herself from crying as Mamoru's eyes softened.

"Reika…" he started softly, taking a step toward her.

"And with _her!_ " Reika spit angrily. Mamoru halted sharply, his eyes narrowing a bit.

"What?" he said slowly.

" _Usagi!_ Reika yelled angrily. Mamoru's features hardened.

"I told you," he said through gritted teeth. "Motoki was the one to ask _her_ out. Not-"

"But she said yes!" Reika screeched. "He just got over me just like that-" she snapped her fingers, "and went and asked out the girl he _knew_ would say yes because she was already in love with him!" Mamoru was shaking his head before she even finished her sentence.

"She's not-" he started, denial laced in his voice. But Reika wasn't done.

"Don't even, Mamoru! They are dating! I bet you he is using her to get over me and she's using the fact that we broke up to finally get with him. Well, I'm not putting up with it!" Her face was red as the anger radiated from every pore on her body.

"Reika-"

"Go to the gala with me," she blurted. His eyes widened in surprise and he took a step back.

"What?! You cannot be serious!"

"Oh, but I am. He wants to throw it in my face that he's dating Usagi so much! Maybe I've moved on, too!" Tears streamed down her face, but she couldn't help it now.

"Not with me!" Mamoru said heatedly. "This is not a good idea, Reika."

"So you're okay with them dating, then? You could care less that your best friend is dating the girl you're in love with?" Her snarky attitude had his eyes widening even more and he visibly swallowed.

"I don't-" but he couldn't even finish the thought before she started laughing a crazed maniacal laugh.

"Okay, Mamoru. Stay in your denial. When you finally figure it out, it'll be too late. And if you don't want to help me stick it to Motoki, fine! I'll find someone who will!" She turned up her glass, drinking the rest the whiskey in two gulps before slamming it down on the table and walking out, leaving a stricken Mamoru in her wake.

oOo

A/N

I hope you like it! Reika is big mad, huh? Things in life always get worse before they get better, right? That's always been my experience.


	6. Chapter 6

Rolling out chapter 6 to you already! Hope you enjoy it!

Beej88 and Revy679 are always my betas and they always do a fantastic job! Thank you, ladies, for everything you do for me!

Anyone remember what the next step is in Minako's devious little plan? Hurt, anger, realization, denial, acceptance. Remember what stage we're coming up on?

~*~v~*~

Mamoru walked down the side walk, his hands buried in his jean pockets as the wind slightly blew his already ruffled hair. He sighed as his feet hit the pavement, moving almost of their own accord, leading him ... _somewhere_. He wasn't even sure where he was headed. His mind swirled with too many other things to worry about figuring out a destination.

Things like Usagi and Motoki. _Usagi and Motoki!_ How had that even happened? His best friend and his...well...the girl from the arcade who drove him _insane_. He wasn't sure why he was having such a reaction to the two of them getting together. Maybe it was just the shock of seeing them together, knowing that they were going on dates, picturing them kissing...the image automatically elicited a building bitter feeling, laced with anger that made his stomach churn uncomfortably.

Why did he even care that they were together? It didn't affect his life in the least!

He thought about what Reika had said. _"I bet you he's using her to get over me and she's using the fact that we broke up to finally get with him."_ He couldn't get that sentence out of his head. Surely it couldn't be true! Motoki using Usagi as a rebound? He couldn't be that cruel, knowing damn well Usagi used to have feelings for him.

 _Used to_. It _was_ used to, right? She'd even told him she'd grown out of that silly crush. Could she have been lying to him? What if she really _was_ using his hurt over losing Reika to finally go out with him? Mamoru's anger inexplicably began to boil. How was this happening?

His feet began to hurt and he realized he'd started stomping. He stopped and released a slow, steady breath as he looked toward the sky and rubbed the back of his neck. He shouldn't be getting this angry. _Why did he even care_?

He took another deep sigh and looked around. He'd been so lost in involuntary thoughts of misery that he had no idea where he'd ended up. With another sigh, one of frustration this time, he briefly scanned his surroundings. His gaze halted at the sight of his own reflection in the window of the shop he was standing beside. His brows drew together into a frown, and he dropped his hand from his neck to peer inside.

His eyes widened, startled, as sitting at a table against the window was none other than the girl that had been occupying his thoughts. "Usagi?" he whispered to himself. What was she doing here? This was a little bakery, blocks away from the arcade. He'd never known Usagi to go anywhere _but_ that silly arcade.

His frown deepened as he realized what she was doing. She was... _studying?_ On the table in front of her sat an open laptop, a notebook, and a muffin on a plate that she was picking at. The pencil in her hand scribbled random things as she looked from it to the computer in front of her. Mamoru blinked a few times in confusion.

Never, in all the time that he'd known her, had he actually witnessed her doing any kind of school work. He knew she'd somehow managed to get into college, probably by the skin of her teeth, but he'd never bothered to find out what program, and courses, she'd actually ended up taking.

He grimaced, internally torn between going into the bakery and just walking away. _Why did he even care?_ Curiosity got the better of him though, and he headed into the bakery and made a beeline for her table. She didn't even look up; only speaking when she felt the presence of someone near her.

"I'm still eating my muffin right now, Naharu. But I wouldn't mind a chocolate milk," she said nonchalantly as she stared at the screen. _Naharu_? Was she here so much, that she knew the waiter's name?

"The hell are you doing, Odango?" he asked, and plastered the cocky smile he always reserved just for her onto his face. She jumped, startled by his voice. He was clearly the last person she'd expected to find her here. Her eyes widened and she inhaled sharply as the pencil she'd been holding slipped from her hand and rolled across the table before falling onto the floor with a soft 'clunk'.

She blinked in confusion, her blue eyes peering up at him from beneath long eyelashes. "Mamoru?" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here, baka?" she asked, confusion laced into the melodic tone of her voice.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he questioned and raised an eyebrow condescendingly. "I never thought I'd see you somewhere other than the arcade."

She sighed with irritation, rolled her eyes and bent over to pick up her fallen writing utensil, blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders with the movement. He watched as long, slender fingers curled around the pencil and she straightened, readjusted herself in her seat, and looked back up at him.

"The arcade is my favorite place in the world, but it's also noisy and distracting, and I can't study there. And I can't really study at home because of Shingo," she said her brother's name with a grimace and disdain layered in her tone. Mamoru couldn't help but chuckle at that. "So, I come here when I have to do some work." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Why are _you_ here?"

The corners of his lips quirked up into a smirk. "I was just walking by when I saw you in the window," he motioned to the glass window beside her, "And had to come inside. What are you working on?"

She huffed as her eyes returned to the computer screen in front of her. "I have to write a paper for my Cognitive Development class. I'm just doing a little research." She moved her mouse around, clicking various different links and scrolling through them.

It took a moment for her words to register, and when they did Mamoru's heart began to hammer in his chest and he willed it to calm down. "Cognitive Development class?" It was then that he realized that he didn't even know what she went to college for. Without thinking, he took the seat across from her. Her eyes widened in confusion and he couldn't help the flip in his stomach as her eyes met his. What was _wrong_ with him?! "What are you majoring in?" He asked, forcing these unknown feelings down.

She looked as though she was studying _him_ now; trying to discern exactly why he was here. He wondered the same thing himself. "I'm majoring in Child Care right now. I want to work with kids. Especially kids in need. You know...some of these kids are thrust into the system with nobody to help them. I want to be their somebody. I know it might sound silly, but-"

"That's amazing," he blurted without thinking. He could feel his face heat up and watched as a blush tinted her cheeks. "I mean...it's just...it's pretty cool...that you want to work with children." He couldn't believe he was stuttering. He'd never been a man at a loss for words, especially when it came to Odango. But he was used to insulting her; not complimenting her. Why had he never complimented her before?

"Thanks," she said with a blush as she brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He felt the sudden urge to do it himself and struggled to hold himself back. She looked at her watch and her eyes widened. "Oh man," she groaned as she closed her laptop and pulled a bag from beside her and began packing her things. "I'm going to be late, _again!_ "

Mamoru's heart dropped to his stomach. "Going out with Motoki again?" He could hear the disdain in his voice but didn't care to hide it.

"No, I have a meeting with my professor. But I'm meeting up with him afterward!" She paused for a minute as she stood, as if contemplating what she would say next. "I can't wait to see him again, though. We've been having such a good time lately. I don't know why he and Reika broke up, but it kinda worked out in my favor." She gave him a wink and his blood started to boil once again. "Later, baka!" She called as she secured her bag over her shoulder and bounced out the door.

Mamoru sat there, stuck in his seat, jaw clenched angrily, and his gaze glued to the door where she had just disappeared. _Reika was right_. Usagi was using their breakup to finally get with Motoki! He couldn't believe it. He never would have thought of her as that type of person. He felt let down, hurt, and …pissed off!

He stood quickly from the chair and bolted out of the door. If Reika was right about Usagi, was she right about Motoki? Was he just using Usagi as a rebound to help him get over Reika? His anger boiled over as he found himself at the arcade, bursting through the door and almost shattering it. Motoki stood at the counter his eyes wide as Mamoru charged him.

"Hey, Mamoru. What's-"

"What _the hell_ are you doing?!" He yelled, catching the attention of the whole arcade as he reached the counter. Motoki's eyes couldn't get any wider as he stared at his friend in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" He asked carefully.

"You're just using her to get over Reika, aren't you?" Mamoru spit through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with rage.

"Mamoru-" Motoki tried but was promptly cut off again.

"She's just your little rebound you can play with until you're done with her and then toss her aside for someone better, isn't she?"

Motoki gasped, his face flushed with indignation. "Hey! That's going too far, Mamoru!"

"Have you fucked her yet? Is that the plan? Just fuck her until you're over Reika?" Mamoru sneered.

Motoki's eyes narrowed furiously. "Get out, Mamoru," he replied icily, as he pointed a finger towards the door. Mamoru scathingly looked him up and down, fighting the urge to punch his "best friend" in the face before he turned and marched toward the door. He didn't even notice Usagi walking in as he threw himself over the threshold and down the sidewalk.

oOo

Usagi walked into the arcade, hung up her jacket on the hooks just as Mamoru rushed past her. She frowned as she watched him go before making her way to the counter to see a very angry Motoki. "Hey," she began, her tone tinged with concern. "What's going on?" She asked as she glanced over her shoulder toward the front door.

"Mamoru is being an ass," Motoki growled angrily.

Usagi's lips curled into a knowing half-smile. "Yeah, well what's new there." She rolled her eyes and seated herself at the counter.

Motoki forcibly calmed down, focused fully on Usagi, and smiled. "I thought you were meeting with your professor?" He questioned, quickly changing the subject.

Usagi shrugged, "Yeah. He called and postponed," she sighed, then glanced back towards the door again distractedly. "Maybe I should go see what's wrong with him?" She murmured with concern, stood, and turned away from the counter.

Motoki's smile vanished. "Don't. He's very angry, right now. He's going to yell at you," he said as he reached for her.

She stepped out of his reach and waved dismissively. "Used to that!" Usagi called out airily as she headed for the door.

"He's going to be a real asshole, Usagi!" Motoki warned loudly. "Don't go!"

It was to no avail. The blonde was a flurry of nonchalance. "0 for 2, 'Toki! He yells and is an asshole to me all the time. I got this!" She quipped, and with that, she headed out the door.

oOo

"Baka! Bakaaa! Mamoruuuu!" he heard her calling as he marched down the sidewalk. He was too angry to talk to her right now. He couldn't. He was going to say something wrong and he knew it. But when he heard her running footsteps approach and she grabbed his wrist, he couldn't help but stop with a sigh as he turned to face her. He automatically felt the tension in his shoulders lessen with her slender fingers halted him.

He turned softened eyes to her confused ones. "What's been going on with you lately, Mamoru? You've been acting so weird," she asked, her voice full of concern.

He immediately felt his anger return. _He_ was the one acting weird? Was she _kidding_?!

" _I'm_ acting weird?!" he spat as he yanked out of her grasp. She blinked in surprise, her eyes widening as she took a slight step back.

"Yeah? I mean, ever since me and Motoki-" she started, but his sneering laugh had her stopping mid-sentence.

"You and Motoki...right…" He rolled his eyes as his stomach flipped, this time making him nauseous.

"I don't understand why you're so…so..." she motioned to his stance and attitude, "...like this! Just because we're dating? What does it even matter to you?!"

"It matters because…" he paused. Why _did_ it matter?! He still hadn't figured that out really. "It matters because you're using my friend!" Yeah. He would go with that for now.

Usagi paled a little. "U-using him?"

"Yeah," Mamoru continued. It was obvious by her shocked expression that he was right and his anger spiraled out of control once again. "You've always had a thing for Motoki. That "little crush" you had, you've just been waiting for him and Reika to break up so you could jump all over him!"

"Wait...what?" Her face had turned into one of confusion and he didn't believe it for a second.

"Were you just waiting? Watching? Hoping they would break up so you could just swoop in and pick up the pieces of his broken heart, right?" Mamoru's voice got louder as he spoke, his anger lacing every word.

"No, that's not…"

"You know, Motoki wouldn't talk about why he and Reika broke up. Was it because of you?" He demanded with an accusing tone.

"What?!" Usagi's face reddened with embarrassed anger.

"You had something to do with them breaking up, didn't you? Did you go prancing around him in your short skirts like a little slut?" He knew the minute that the words came out of his mouth that he'd gone too far. Her eyes widened, filled with tears as her hand came up and slapped him across the face.

Mamoru touched his stinging cheek as he watched her run off, immediately filled with regret. He knew she was _not_ that type of girl. He'd gotten too mad; gone _way_ too far. He sighed as he looked around, and finally noticed the audience that had gathered. The women looked at him with disgust while the men watched Usagi run off. He shook his head and decided to drown his feelings as he headed home.

oOo

Usagi ran into the arcade, tears streaming down her face. Motoki's heart dropped as he made his way around the counter in an attempt to reach her as she grabbed her jacket from the coat rack.

"Usa, what happened? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly. He'd seen Mamoru make the blonde cry before, but this was different. There wasn't just anger in her eyes; there was heartbreak.

"You were right. He's an asshole," she muttered through her tears as she pulled her jacket on and moved toward the door.

"Usagi, wait!" Motoki begged as he reached for her. But she slipped away from him and hurried out the door. With a deep sigh, Motoki pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the number of his co-conspirator. She picked up on the first ring. "Minako. Remember the anger you were talking about? It's that time."

Dun, dun, dun! It's getting good now, huh?


	7. Chapter 7

It's just this chapter and one more after! We're almost there, folks!

~*~v~*~

Usagi wiped her eyes and cleared her throat as she headed to see who was knocking on her door. She was pretty sure she knew who it was considering her fake "boyfriend" had just seen how hard that jerk had made her cry. She really didn't want to see anyone; not looking like this. Fully intent on sending Motoki away, she took a deep breath and opened the door.

She was surprised to see, not Motoki, but Minako with a sad smile on her face. Usagi's shoulders slumped a bit more as she turned and headed back into her apartment, knowing Minako would let herself in. And she did, softly closing the door behind her.

"Motoki called you," she murmured, just above a miserable whisper as more of a statement rather than a question.

Minako answered anyway. "Yeah. He told me what happened," she said, her eyes as soft as her voice as she gently made her way into the apartment.

Usagi sighed, turned to her friend and plopped herself down on her shabby chic white couch. "I don't want to talk about it," she murmured, her head laid against the back of the sofa and her eyes closed. The last thing she wanted was to relive the awful things Mamoru had said to her.

A slut. He'd called her a _slut!_

She quickly shook her head in her best attempt to rid the image of the look etched onto his face as he yelled at her from her mind. She'd never seen him like that...and she _never_ wanted to again.

"Well, that's good," Minako's voice sounded more cheerful than when she'd first walked in. Usagi opened her eyes to see her blonde friend towering above her, standing right in front of her, hovering less than a foot away. Her eyebrows knitted together in slight confusion. "Because I'm not here to talk about that asshat! I'm here to take you shopping!" She said gleefully. Minako's eyes sparkled mischievously as she held her hand out.

"Um," Usagi stuttered, looking from the hand to the eyes of her overly excited friend. "Why are we going shopping?"

Minako dropped her hand with an overly exaggerated sigh of irritation as she dramatically rolled her eyes. "Well, you _do_ have a gala coming up, do you not? We've gotta' find you a dress just as gorgeous as you, my dear!"

Usagi frowned. "I don't know," she replied hesitantly. "I don't think I'm going to go." Really, after the way Mamoru had spoken to her, how could she attend this gala as Motoki's date?

The blonde fashionista gasped. "Not going to go!? Why? Because of _Mamoru?_ Usagi, that's even _more_ reason to go!" Minako threw her hands in the air. Usagi sighed and looked away. Why was this so important anyway? Minako took a slight step closer, lowering her voice to match that of a normal speaking person. "Look, Usagi. I don't know what Mamoru said to you. But whatever it was, it's not true. He's a jackass and you shouldn't let him decide what _you_ do! Besides, fashion is like eating. You should always eat your favorites!"

Usagi giggled as she rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't stick to the same menu, Minako," she corrected.

"Whatever, Usagi! Come oooon!" The blonde whined with a stomp of her foot.

Fine," she conceded as she stood. "Let's go dress shopping."

Minako squealed, jumping up and down and clapping in her excitement. To tell the truth, Usagi was excited too. She could definitely do with some retail therapy

oOo

Usagi followed Minako into the dress shop. The girl had not stopped chattering on and on about her hair, make-up, and what kind of dress they should get. Usagi stayed quiet, chiming in here and there when manners dictated, but she couldn't keep her mind away from Mamoru.

Why had he been so angry? They'd fought before; said things that had hurt each other. He'd made her angry before. She'd made him angry before. But this...this was different. This was a type of anger she'd never seen from him in the past. His eyes...they'd looked... _tortured._ Like his heart was _broken_. Who could have hurt him that badly? And, for the love of God, _why_ had he taken it out on _her?_ What had she done to deserve that kind of torment?

Her spirits lifted slightly as Ami came into view. The bluenette was standing by a rack of dresses, admiring the different designs. She smiled as Minako caught her attention with an "Ames!"

"I invited Ami," Minako explained, though clearly, she needed no explanation as the girl was right in front of them. "Thought it might be fun to dress her up!" She giggled impishly as a slight blush tainted Ami's cheeks. Usagi couldn't help the smile that took over at the brilliant girl's clear discomfort.

"I thought we were here to find a dress for Usagi?" Ami replied sheepishly.

"Oh, we are!" Minako answered. "But after the way we caught you eyeing those dresses, there is no way you're leaving this store without at least trying some on! It's dress-up time, ladies! Let's have some fun!"

Admittedly, they really did have fun. Usagi's spirits couldn't help but be raised as they picked out dresses for each other to try on. It was extremely entertaining watching her two friends twirl around in beautiful gowns, gushing about fabric and giggling coyly like they were little girls.

Minako picked out another dress and handed it to her. "This one looks gorgeous! You _have_ to try it!"

Usagi gathered the dress in her arms, bright-eyed with excitement, she took it to the dressing room. She quickly put it on, taking care to not rip anything as it slid over her body. As she fixed the gown into place, she gazed into the mirror at herself. Her head tilted to the side as her hands ran over the dress that now clung to her like a second skin and her jaw dropped just slightly.

 _This is it. This is the dress._

She took a deep breath and stepped out of the dressing room, praying the girls thought the same. And by the looks on their faces, they did. Minako's jaw almost hit the ground in dramatic, Minako-like fashion and a big smile curled across Ami's delicate face.

"That's it!" Minako yelled, catching the attention of every other patron in the shop. "That dress is perfect!"

"Usagi, you look beautiful!" Ami said, an excited pep in her voice. Usagi smiled and looked down at herself.

"I love it," she cooed softly as she looked back to the girls. This dress and how beautiful it made her feel had her excitement rising about the gala and she couldn't wait to show it off.

"Yes!" Minako clapped and bounced to her, getting a better look at the gown. "Oh, Usagi! This is the perfect dress. He's going to love it!"

"Who?" Usagi asked without thinking.

"Duh! Mam…uh, Motoki! Of course!" Minako stuttered. Usagi's smile faltered slightly as she looked to Minako, then to Ami, remembering the bluenette didn't know about the faux relationship.

"Yes," Ami added. "I do believe Motoki will agree with us that you look simply stunning in this dress, Usa."

Usagi smiled a genuine smile. Motoki. She had been so concentrated on what Mamoru had said to her, she hadn't thought about Motoki and what he would think of this dress. She hoped he would love it as much as she did. And maybe she would impress some of his colleagues. And hopefully, she wouldn't klutz it up around anyone!

Something caught her eye outside the shop windows. Her smile dropped as she watched Mamoru pass, unaware that the girls were inside. Minako touched her shoulder gently. She had seen him too.

"Usagi, what did he say to you?" she finally asked softly.

"Yes," Ami chimed in. "Won't you tell us what he said to you to upset you so much?"

Usagi sighed as she sat down on a cushioned bench against the wall. "He...he called me a slut," she said softly.

"What?!" Minako yelled, her face reddening in anger.

"Shh! Mina! Keep your voice down!" Usagi shushed her as Ami looked around in embarrassment.

"Why the hell did he call you a slut?!" Minako's voice still rang out in the little shop, even as she tried to reign it in. Usagi sighed and told them both what Mamoru had said to her on the street earlier. Ami's face was one of confusion while Minako's anger only seemed to grow. "How dare he say those things to you!"

"Something must be very wrong," Ami replied logically. "Even at his angriest, I've never heard Mamoru speak like that." Her eyes wandered, staring off into the distance as she thought over the words.

"I don't care if something was wrong with him! He had no right to treat you like that, Usagi!" Minako growled.

"I agree he didn't have any right to lash out at her as he did. Though, I do wonder what could have happened to set him off in such an explosive manner," Ami contemplated. Then, as if something clicked in her head, Minako's eyes widened and she immediately calmed down. Usagi frowned and tilted her head slightly as she watched the gears turning.

"Mina?"

The blonde's attention flew back to Usagi with a "hmm?" Then, remembering where she was, she spoke. "Oh. Yeah. Well, I agree with Ami. Something must have happened to set him off. I'm sure he didn't mean the things he said to you." Grabbing Usagi's hand, she pulled her off the bench and moved her to stand before the mirror, allowing Usagi to see herself again. A smile returned to her lips at seeing herself in the dress. She really did love it so.

"Just think about this dress, Usa," Minako continued, her voice now low and seductive. "Think about when your hair is done, and your makeup is on point. And you walk into that ballroom with an extremely sexy looking Motoki in a tux at your side…" Usagi couldn't help but grin, "...and the lights will be perfect and the music soft. And everyone will be staring at the two of you in envy. The most gorgeous couple in the room." The way Minako painted a picture, Usagi's felt excited and nervous. She closed her eyes as she pictured the scene. "And Mamoru will eat his heart out." Minako finished.

Usagi's eyes flew open as she looked in the mirror again. In the reflection, Minako's devious face was backing away. To the side, she could see a very confused Ami. She looked back to herself in the mirror, gazing over her features and the way this dress formed to her and flowed, and she grinned.

 _That's right. Eat your heart out, Mamoru._

The next day, Motoki stood at the counter, watching the clock. He was tired of working today. The day had started early, it had been very long, and he was just ready to go home.

This morning he had sent Usagi a text to make sure she was okay. She had responded with, "Yup! See you at the arcade!" Motoki shook his head. She was always one to bounce back so quickly.

He looked up as the door to the arcade chimed and Minako skipped in and up to the bar.

"Hey, how did it go with Usagi yesterday?" He asked concerned. He knew Minako would tell him what really happened between Usagi and Mamoru yesterday. And as Minako dropped to the counter stool with a huff, her bangs flying in all directions with the puff of air, he knew she was about to spill.

"Well, you were definitely right. We're at the angry stage. _Very_ angry." Her eyes widened slightly as she looked over the menu like she hadn't been in here every day for the last few years and had memorized exactly what they served.

Motoki rolled his eyes in frustration. "Well?"

"Well, what?" She frowned, bringing her attention back to him.

"What happened with Usagi and Mamoru? What did he say to upset her so much yesterday," he growled slightly. She was so clueless sometimes!

"Oh! Right!" She yelled out as if the thought hadn't even occurred to her to explain. Motoki shook his head in wonder. Clueless was putting it lightly! Minako bent over the counter in a conspiratory way once again and Motoki followed suit. "So yesterday, Mamoru called Usagi a slut!"

Motoki shot up. "What?!" His voice lowered dangerously with anger. Minako's eyes widened slightly as she slowly sat back up. "He called her a _what_?!" His blood boiled with rage and Minako stood slowly, holding her hands up defensively.

"Take a deep breath, 'Toki. This is a -"

"How is this a good thing!?" He yelled, already knowing what his co-conspirator was going to say.

"Look, I was upset too. But this just shows just how upset this is making him! After anger comes realization. Then -"

"Denial. Then acceptance. Yeah, I got it, Minako." Motoki angrily ran his fingers through his hair, trying to calm himself down. "Ugh. This is crazy, Minako," huffed as he ran both hands over his face. "I don't know how long we can keep doing this." He paced behind the counter, stressed etched into his face.

"The gala is tomorrow, right?" Minako asked. Motoki nodded, exhaling slowly as he stared at the ceiling. "I think that will be the big night." Motoki looked to her, seeing the determination on her face. "He's hit anger. We just need the denial and acceptance. He needs to see you guys together again. We need to-"

But she was cut off as the door opened and Usagi walked in. She headed to the counter, a small smile on her face.

"Hey, guys," she said lightly as she took a seat on her favorite barstool.

"Usagi, I was just about to tell Motoki that we got your dress for tomorrow night!" Minako jumped excitedly with a grin. Motoki's demeanor immediately changed at the prospect of seeing Usagi dressed up. The gala was always full of men in tuxes and woman in beautiful gowns. He could only imagine how gorgeous she would look.

And how gorgeous Reika would be. His heart deflated a bit.

"Yeah. We got the perfect dress!" Usagi said cheerfully, a bright smile spreading across his face. "I really hope you'll like it," she added with a blush.

Motoki smiled, unable to resist his heart filling back up. He was on such an emotional roller coaster. He approached the counter, taking her hands gently into his.

"Usagi, you're going to turn every head there!" he said with a smile. Her blush deepened and she giggled. Then her face dropped and she looked at him from beneath long lacy lashes.

"Motoki...the dancing...I can't…" she didn't finish, ducking her head slightly in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, Usagi. Let's get together tonight. Here. After the arcade closes. I'll teach you how to dance," he said warmly. Her eyes brightened as she plastered on another big smile.

"Really? That would be great!" She stood quickly and propelled herself onto her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you! I'm going to go home and get my school work done for the day so I can concentrate on the dancing. I'll see you tonight!" And she happily bounced out of the arcade.

Motoki turned to Minako, realizing she'd been ignored the whole time Usagi was there. But she didn't seem upset. Quite the contrary. Instead, she sat on the barstool, watching, a small smile across her lips.

"What?" Motoki asked. Minako shrugged with one shoulder.

"That was just adorable. That's all."

Motoki rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly.

"So you're going to teach her how to dance, huh?" Minako wondered. Motoki's eyebrow raised slightly. "You better wear some steel-toed boots! That girl is going to crush your little tootsies."

Motoki frowned, "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"Pft. It will be. She may have gotten a bit more graceful as she's gotten older but the girl is still clumsy as boar."

"It's as clumsy as an ox, Mina," Motoki corrected with a roll of his eyes.

"Whatever! I'm just saying, protect yourself, fool! You want to be able to dance at the ball, right?" She sounded exasperated.

"Yes, but I want to be able to dance with _her_ ," Motoki strained with a laugh. "It'll be fine. Worth it, even."

"Okaaay! Don't say I didn't warn you. She -" but she was cut off as the door to the arcade opened and Motoki's face dropped, anger etched into his features.

Mamoru walked in slowly, his head ducked in shame as he headed to the counter. Motoki crossed his arms, preparing himself for whatever his "friend" had to say now.

"Hey, 'Toki," Mamoru said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Mamoru," Motoki greeted in a standoffish manner.

"Look," he glanced at Minako as she leaned in to listen before turning his attention back on him. "I'm sorry about yesterday. It was uncalled for and I didn't mean it. I'm not sure what happened. I think I've just been really stressed lately over... well, I just mean…" he sighed. "I'm sorry," he finished.

Motoki felt his anger slowly dissipate. He looked to Minako, who gave him a grin and a nod. He did hate it when she was right.

"It's okay, Mamoru," Motoki accepted, giving the man his full attention again. "But you need to apologize to Usagi. I heard about what you said to her," Mamoru glanced at Minako, who gave him a 'yup'. "And that was even more uncalled for."

"I know," Mamoru nodded. "I'll apologize to her next time I see her," he promised.

Suddenly, Motoki's eyes widened slightly and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Minako give him a confused look with one eyebrow cocked. Why hadn't he thought of this before? _Get it together, Motoki,_ he thought to himself.

"I'm actually meeting her tonight," Motoki said with a smile. Mamoru's shoulders dropped slightly.

"Another date?" He asked softly.

"Kinda. I'm teaching her how to dance for the gala tomorrow. We're meeting here after I close up. You should come!" Motoki offered. Minako's eyes widened slightly and an evil grin took over her features. She had finally caught on as well. "You know how to dance. You can help me teach her."

But Mamoru was already shaking his head solemnly. "I don't think that's a good idea. I wouldn't want to interrupt your...date," he swallowed thickly.

"Nah," Motoki waved a hand dismissively. "You won't be interrupting." Mamoru shook his head.

"I don't know. I think I'm just going to head home," Mamoru said distractedly. "I'll talk to you later." And he headed out the door, raking a hand through his hair.

Minako stood, her face painted in shock. She looked from the door to Motoki and back again. "Motoki!" She squealed and he couldn't help the surge of pride that went through him. Minako wasn't the only one who could have good ideas. "That was brilliant!" She clapped her hands excitedly.

"I know," Motoki laughed. "Now we have to make a plan."

Minako gave an evil cackle and leaned over the counter to conspire.

oOo

Usagi arrived at the arcade after closing time. She straightened her sundress before entering the doors into the air-conditioned building and looked around. Most of the lights were turned off, alluding to the fact that the place was indeed closed. With all the games turned off, the silence was a bit eerie and she looked around in haste for her instructor.

Unbeknownst to her, an excited blonde watched from the bushes across the road as she entered.

Motoki stood at the counter, a smile on his face. Without a word, he reached over to the boombox sitting on the bar. As he pushed the button, a beautiful classical piece began to play, the notes filling the room. She smiled as she walked toward him.

"Usagi," he greeted as he took her hand in his and kissed the back of it, just like a gentleman. "You look ravishing, as always," he grinned. She giggled in response and curtsied dramatically.

"Why thank you, my good sir." He laughed as she clumsily stood back up. "And you, too, are looking quite dashing."

They laughed together. This was what she loved; being able to be carefree with a friend she really enjoyed spending time with. Usagi truly hoped this wouldn't change after Motoki was back together with Reika. She would miss this so much if it ended.

"Okay," Motoki started, rubbing his hands together as he looked around. "I guess we just start, then?"

"Yeah, sure!" She moved with him to the middle of the cleared area in front of the bar; their "dance floor." He took her into his arms, one hand on her waist and the other taking her hand in his. "I apologize in advance to your poor toes."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. You'll catch on quick," he assured her. But she was still worried.

"If you say so. But if it's too much, I just won't dance tomorrow," she said but he just laughed.

"Come on, Usagi. Let's just dance." He took one step and winced as she stepped wrong and landed on his foot.

"Sorry!" She squealed.

"No worries. It's fine. This is a basic ballroom dance. Here, watch." He stepped away from her, then held his hands out, holding an invisible partner. "Watch my feet. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three." He stopped and look to her. "Shall we give it a try?"

Usagi nodded hesitantly and he took her back into his arms. She watched their feet as they danced. One, two, crush. He winced. She apologized. They went again. One, two, crush. One, crush, crush. Motoki's face scrunched up pain; pain that he tried to hide from her. But she knew it.

"Motoki, this is hopeless," she sighed in defeat, backing away from him. She didn't want to keep hurting him. But he shook his head.

"You have to learn, Usagi. My toes will heal. Don't worry. Let's go again," he said, taking her back in his arms. "Just take a deep breath." She nodded again and watched their feet as they danced around the room. Or rather, crushed his toes around the room. After he started grunting, she pulled away again.

"This is crazy, 'Toki. I just can't do this. I can't dance." She shook her head as he limped over to a barstool. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. But I _did_ warn you in advance!"

"We just need a break, Usa. You'll get it. I promise. We just -" but he stopped as something, or rather some _one_ , caught his eye outside. "Hold that thought!" He said hastily as he jumped up from the seat and ran to the door. She watched as he seemed to run down the sidewalk after someone.

Moving to her favorite barstool, she took a seat, adjusting her dress and crossing her legs in a dainty fashion. With a huff, she blew her bangs out of her face as she waited.

This was stupid. She couldn't dance. She had never been able to dance. Why did she think that would change now? Just because she wanted it to? That's just crazy.

Her eyes widened as Motoki came back into view, pulling a reluctant Mamoru by his arm and into the arcade. No. _No!_ What was _he_ doing here?!

She stood and crossed her arms as Motoki pulled Mamoru up to the counter.

"Look who I found lurking outside!" Motoki huffed in exertion.

"I was not _lurking._ I was just walking by. That's all," Mamoru said defensively.

"Whatever, dude. You-" Motoki stopped as his phone started ringing. He pulled it from his pocket and answered immediately. "Hey. What? Are you sure? Okay, I'll be right there." As he tucked the phone back into his pocket, he looked to Usagi. "I've got to run. I'm so sorry." He said, not sounding sorry at all.

Usagi dropped her arms. "Wait, you're leaving? What about teaching me how to dance?" She asked, panicked.

"Mamoru can teach you!" Motoki insisted as he backed up towards the door. Mamoru's eyes widened.

" _What?!_ " Usagi yelled.

"Who was on the phone?" Mamoru questioned.

"Um...just Unazuki. She needs my help with something," he shrugged. "I'm really sorry, guys."

"Motoki!" Usagi pleaded. He could _not_ leave her here with _him._

"Just lock up when you leave. You got this!" And with that, he ran out of the arcade, leaving the two alone.

Usagi stood stock still, her jaw dropped and her eyes wide. She couldn't believe this. How could he just leave her like that? And with _Mamoru_ of all people!

The man to her side cleared his throat, gaining her attention. "So...do you...would you like me to teach you how to dance?" he asked sheepishly. Usagi rolled her eyes and moved to step around him.

"Yeah, right. And give you more to tease me about? No, thank you!" She spit as she made her way to the door. But a hand clasped around her wrist brought her to a halt.

"Don't go," he pleaded and when she turned to face him, there was something in his eyes; something she couldn't quite place. "I'm sorry, Usagi. I'm sorry I said what I said the other day. I didn't mean it. I don't think that way about you. I was stressed out and upset and I took it out on you. I am truly sorry. Please forgive me."

She stood stock still, shock coursing through her. She couldn't believe it. Had he just apologized? And in such a heartfelt way? She was...touched.

"Please...let me teach you how to dance," Mamoru voice pleaded. Usagi felt a warm sensation in her belly as she nodded slowly.

"Okay, Mamoru," she replied softly. He gave her a warm smile and held out his hand. She stared at it a moment before timidly placing her hand in his and allowing him to lead her back to the dance floor. As he took her in his strong arms, she released a shuddered, nervous breath and looked up at him. "I'm apologizing in advance to your feet."

He gave her a lopsided grin and pulled her closer. "I'm sure I'll be just fine," he assured her.

"Okay. I warned you," she muttered to herself. As she looked down at their feet, they started moving. One, two, crush. Crush, two, crush. One, two, three. One, crush, crush.

As Mamoru winced once again, Usagi sighed and pulled away. She immediately missed his warmth but refused to dwell on why that was.

"I'm sorry, Mamoru. I just can't do this," she said, eyes downcast, and her tone laced with resigned defeat. But Mamoru only smiled again.

"Usa," he called, and her head snapped up at the sound of his voice, a pink tinge of embarrassment spreading across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. "Take a deep breath and relax," he commanded. She grimaced, still feeling discouraged, even as she obeyed. "Now take another one." She did, her shoulders relaxing as the tension began to melt away. "Good," he said softly as he pulled her back into his embrace. "Now, eyes on me," he breathed softly. She swallowed nervously, faltering under the intensity of his stare, and instead, looked down at their feet. "Eh, eh!" he scolded, placed a finger under her chin, and tilted her head up to bring her eyes back onto his face. "Right here," he pointed two fingers to his eyes. She looked up, inhaling sharply as she got lost in the deep cobalt-blue of his gaze.

Her breath caught in her throat and butterflies invaded her stomach, fluttering around like a whirlwind of emotion that she had no control over. Her head was spinning and she suddenly couldn't remember how to even think anymore.

And then he started to move. Mamoru danced gracefully around the room, taking her right along with him. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. He smiled down at her and she couldn't help but smile back. She didn't crush his toes; didn't bump into him as they glided in circles around the area. She also couldn't take her eyes away from his...and she didn't want to.

The music came to a stop and so did they. Yet he held on to her, staring deep into her eyes. It was then that she noticed that his head was dipping closer, his gorgeous eyes moving closer, locked unblinkingly onto hers. The excitement of what she knew was about to happen made her breath catch in her throat, as her heart began to race with anticipation.

He was so close she could feel his breath on her lips. She closed her eyes and couldn't help the words that spilled from her lips. "Mamo-chan," she breathed.

Suddenly he froze, her voice bringing him out of his trance. He immediately pulled away and she quickly felt cold. Her eyes opened to see him backing up, his eyes wide and his cheeks red. She could feel the flush on her own cheeks.

"I...I think you, um…I think you got it," he stuttered, his hand now rubbing the back of his neck. "We should…" he cleared his throat nervously. "We should go. Lock up. Motoki…" he strayed from the rest of his words as he hurried to the boombox to turn it off.

Usagi hadn't moved. She couldn't. _What had just happened!?_ She felt dizzy and lightheaded. She had just been about to kiss Mamoru. _Mamoru!_ Why?! Why did she feel like this? Was it the lighting? The music? How had she fallen into such a stupor?

She wanted it. She wanted him to kiss her. She still did! _What is going on!?_

"Usagi!" Mamoru called, touching her arm lightly. She jumped in response and looked to him questioningly. "We have to go," he said in an almost pleading tone. She slowly nodded and allowed herself to be pulled from the arcade to stand on the sidewalk while her dance instructor locked the door. Then he turned to her, raking a hand through his hair. "You did great, Usagi. I'll, uh...I'll see you later.

Usagi could only nod as he turned and headed in the opposite direction. She stood frozen in place, pondering what had just occurred inside her favorite place.

 _Mamo-chan_. She'd called him Mamo-chan…

She swallowed deeply, past the lump in her throat, too scared to try and figure out what that meant. With a deep sigh, she turned on her heels and headed home.

From the bushes, two sets of eyes had been watching everything though the window. Without a word, they gave each other a high five.

oOo

Mamoru paced the floor of his apartment. He'd almost kissed her. His best friend's girlfriend! Odango Atama! The girl who disrupted his life on a daily basis. He'd almost kissed her!

And he would have if she hadn't said something; hadn't muttered a name that made his heart stop. _Mamo-chan._ A nickname he had never heard before that made his head spin and his breathing come to a complete halt. A nickname he didn't want to hear come from anyone's lips except hers.

He'd been so stunned it made him realize what he was about to do; and what she was about to do right back as her eyes closed and she had made her way onto her tiptoes. Had she even realized that she'd done that?

Mamoru stopped to take another sip of his whiskey before setting the cup down to begin his pacing again, running a hand through his hair.

Why? Why had he tried to kiss her? Why was she affecting him so much? Why did he care that she was dating his best friend? And why had he started seeing her completely different after they started going out? Why was he so _fucking_ jealous?!

Reika's voice once again rang out in his head.

" _So, you're okay with them dating, then? You could care less that your best friend is dating the girl you're in love with?"_

" _...your best friend is dating the girl you're in love with?"_

" _...the girl you're in love with?"_

Mamoru froze, his breathing stopping and his face losing all color. He suddenly felt dizzy and quickly sat on the couch before he passed out.

He was in love with Usagi.

 _He was in love with Usagi!_

No! That couldn't be it. If he was in love with her, he would have known long ago; when they first met! He would have noticed how beautiful she was. How her soft, golden hair was always perfect. Even when it was all over the place, it was still perfect. How her voice was like the most melodic song he had ever heard. How…

 _No!_ This couldn't be happening. He wasn't in love with her. He just _wasn't!_

Without a second thought, he reached over and picked up the phone. Scrolling through his contacts, he found the name of the person he was looking for and dialed. It only took a few rings before…

"Hello?"

"Reika. Still need a date to the gala?"

oOo

A/N: One more chapter left!

Thank you, as always, to my beautiful bae-tas, Revy679 and Beej88! You ladies keep me going!


	8. Chapter 8

Here it is. The last chapter!

~*~v~*~

Minako skipped into the arcade and looked around for her partner in love as he wasn't behind the counter like usual. Instead, he was sitting in a booth, pouring over some notes strewn about the table. She skipped the rest of the way to the booth and plopped down, the wind from her movement blowing some of his papers around. His arms immediately moved to cover the table in a vain attempt to hold them all still. He looked up, shooting her an annoyed glare as he reached down and picked up a few that had fluttered down onto the ground.

"Sorry," Minako said with a shrug, though her tone indicated that she wasn't really sorry at all. They had too much to discuss to be worried about his work papers. "Sooooo, last night was fun!" Motoki sighed as he began packing away his sheets into his bag.

"I really thought last night was going to do it," he said, his tone laced with defeat as he shook his head.

"We're almost there. They almost kissed! That's huge!" Minako cried excitedly and smacked her hands onto the table. Her antics drew the attention of the patrons around her and she waved dismissively in their directions, sending their looks back to their own tables. Motoki rolled his eyes with a smile. "Besides, we still have tonight."

"And what if it doesn't happen tonight, Mina? Mamoru is so stubborn. And I don't know how much longer I can do this," Motoki admitted ruefully.

She understood. Even though it was fun being so sneaky, she knew it had to be exhausting. Her part of this deal was easy; helping to create the plan. But it was Motoki doing all the leg work, all the lying and betrayal of his friend and ex-girlfriend. Though it may not be physically exhausting, in fact, she was sure he was having a good time hanging out with Usagi, it had to be mentally taxing.

"Then we need to get this done tonight. There has to be a way to send him over the edge. We just have to think of something good." Minako dropped her chin into her open hand with a plop and tapped her cheek with her finger. Motoki stared off to the side, his mind deep in thought.

What could they possibly do to take this further; to push Mamoru over the edge and make him finally confess his feelings? They had both seen how close they had come last night. Neither knew what had made Mamoru stop before he kissed their blonde beauty while they danced. _So close!_

Suddenly, Motoki stopped breathing. Minako's eyes shot up to see his eyes widen as he slowly turned back to look at her.

Minako straightened in her seat. "Whacha' thinkin'," she questioned, her eyes filled with curiosity as she watched Motoki's face pale slightly. For the life of her, she couldn't decipher what he was thinking. Did he have an idea? Had he just realized something? Was he having a stroke?! Was he _dying?!_ "Motoki!" She called out, reaching up to snap her fingers in his face. He blinked and his eyes finally moved to hers. "What's happening in that sexay brain of yours?" She tapped his forehead. "Are you okay?"

"I'm going to sleep with her," he stated. Minako froze.

"What?"

Motoki smiled slowly, the color returning to his face. "I'm going to sleep with her," he stated again. Minako felt dizzy. Motoki had really lost it now.

"I don't...I can't...but you... _what?!_ " She couldn't grasp at a single thought in her big beautiful brain! He was going to _sleep_ with Usagi?! How could he do that! She knew he was tired, but this? This was going too far!

"I'm going to tell Mamoru tonight is the night! After the gala, I'm taking Usagi back to my place for a few drinks and some...fun times," he said suggestively with a wink. It was then that she finally understood. Her eyes widened and an impossibly wide smile took over her previously dumbfounded expression.

"Oh my God, Motoki! That's brilliant!" She squealed, once again gaining the attention of those around them. "That is JUST what we need to push him into confessing! He _has_ to if he doesn't want to lose her to you!" Motoki chuckled softly and she couldn't help the surge of pride she felt. "'Toki, I've trained you well in the art of scheming and deception. The student becomes the trainer!" She clapped her hands excitedly.

"Master," Motoki laughed. "The student becomes the master."

"Pft, whatever," she rolled her eyes as she waved him off. "This is it, Motoki. This is the end. After tonight, the biggest enemies in the world will become the best couple ever!"

Motoki chuckled again. "If this doesn't work," he stated, "nothing will."

Minako reached across the table, taking Motoki's hand and shaking it. "It was great working with you, partner." She grinned. It really had been. "This is the most fun I've had in a long time." And she wasn't lying. This had truly been an incredible time. Getting her best friend together with the man she _knew_ she loved, and working with Motoki to do it, had been quite the adventure.

"Okay!" Minako slammed both hands down on the table as she stood. Motoki followed suit. "Let's finish this. I'm going to go help Usagi get ready for tonight. You go find Mamoru and let him know your big plans."

"Sounds like a plan. It's been fun, Minako. Exhausting. But fun." Motoki said with a smile and Minako couldn't help but smile back.

"Call me tonight and let me know how it goes!" Minako sang as she headed for the door, Motoki right behind her. Before heading in opposite directions, Motoki gave her a wink.

oOo

After calling Mamoru with no answer and banging on his apartment door with no response, Motoki knew exactly where he was. As he walked through the entrance of the park, he marveled at how beautiful the flowers were starting to look as they bloomed around him. Juuban really was a gorgeous place, if you were able to admire it for the little beauties it held; beauties like this park.

It was one of Mamoru's favorite places. He loved the quiet and peacefulness it provided. At least, that's what he had told Motoki. But the blonde man suspected it was for far more gratifying reasons, such as the fact that he frequently ran into a certain long-legged blonde This was her favorite place as well, presumably for the _actual_ reasons Mamoru had previously given him. When she wasn't running into him on the sidewalk or stuffing her face at the arcade, Usagi was here, admiring the world that surrounded her.

And it's exactly where he found Mamoru; where he knew he would be. Standing beside the pond and gazing out into the clear blue water, his hands securely in his pockets. Motoki smiled at his predictability as he approached him from behind and clapped him on the back, earning him a jump of surprise from his stoic best friend.

"What's up, man! Fancy seeing you here," he grinned, internally chuckling at his own private joke. Mamoru just nodded in greeting.

"You're awfully happy today," Mamoru pointed out as his gaze returned to the view in front of him.

"Well, it _is_ the night of the gala," Motoki said, shifting his hands to rest behind his head.

"Yeah? And? They have these things all the time," Mamoru said nonchalantly. _Go time._

"Yeah. But tonight is special," Motoki grinned.

"Ah," was Mamoru's only response. Motoki's stomach flipped in anticipation. _Any time now. Come on, Mamoru. Take the bait. Take it!_ "And...h-how is it special?" he finally asked, nerves lacing his baritone voice. _Yes!_

"Well, Usagi and I have been going out for a while…"

"10 days," Mamoru immediately corrected, turning his head slightly to finally look at him. Motoki couldn't help the slight chuckle he released and knew it would come off as excitement.

"Yeah, 10 days," he confirmed. The silence was deafening as he waited for Mamoru's push. After a moment, Mamoru turned to face him fully, his face completely unreadable.

"And?" he pressed. Motoki looked over with a smirk.

"And tonight's the night," he said with a wink. To his delight, he watched as the color completely drained from Mamoru's face.

"Th-the night? What does that mean?" He stuttered slightly. Oh, this was fun.

"You know," Motoki finally turned to face him completely. " _The_ night! After the gala, I'm going to take her back to my place for a little...fun time," he ended with another dramatic wink as he elbowed his friend suggestively.

"Fun time…" Mamoru breathed.

"Picture this," Motoki grinned, holding his hands up like a picture frame. "We get to my apartment, right? And I invite her inside for a glass of wine." Mamoru's face began turning a slight shade of green but Motoki continued. "I'm going to turn on some sexy music. Probably some old school R&B. You know girls love to get down to some bump and grind music, right?" Mamoru clutched his stomach as if he had just been sucker punched and looked away, his breathing coming out in short puffs as if he were about to hyperventilate. _Almost there_. "And just when we've both had a drink or two in us, I'm going to take her in my arms and kiss that little spot on her neck that make ladies melt. Then I'm going to-"

"I've got to go," Mamoru breathed, and Motoki watched as he took off, pushing past him in his rush to leave.

"But wait! I haven't gotten to the best part yet!" Motoki called after him. But he was completely ignored as Mamoru ran out of the park and out of sight.

Motoki smiled to himself as he pulled out his phone and shot a quick text to Minako. If that didn't do it, nothing would.

oOo

Minako grinned as she scrolled through the update from Motoki.

"What's up?" Usagi called out.

"Hm?" Minako looked up from her phone to her friend who was currently seated in the chair of a beautician. She quickly slid her phone into her back pocket with a shake of her head. "Oh, nothing." Then she pointed to a picture in the magazine they were currently thumbing through, changing the subject before she was questioned further. "This one. I think this would go perfect with your dress."

"Yeah? What do you think, Makoto?" She asked, showing their Amazonian friend the book.

"I agree. With the dress you showed me earlier and that hair, Motoki won't be able to keep his hands off of you," she said with a wink. And Minako couldn't help the smirk that immediately overtook her.

 _Yeah. Motoki. Sure. You mean Mamoru!_ She chuckled to herself, gaining quizzical looks from her two friends. But she waved them off.

"It's just going to be a fun night," was her answer back.

oOo

Motoki stood at the entrance to the gala, pacing slightly. Leave it to Usagi to _always_ be late. A limo caught his attention as it pulled up and he breathed a sigh of relief. He'd sent this same limo to pick her up, knowing how classy it looked and how "hoity-toity" it would make her feel. He smiled as he walked to the vehicle, opening the door for her. A perfectly manicured hand became visible from the limo and he accepted it, helping her out. His breath caught as she stood, and he was finally able to get a good look at her.

She was an image of breathtaking perfection; her dress, the perfect shade of pale pink, complemented the peach-colored, blushing tones of her smooth skin. The flowing chiffon gown molded perfectly to her body and dipped below her collarbone into an enticing, sweetheart-shaped neckline. The fabric ruched flatteringly along the front and emphasized her slim waist that was tightly cinched with a glittering, silver, jewel-encrusted belt that wrapped around her waist and twisted up along the seams of the dress into ribboned sleeves. It was perfect; like a masterpiece of billowing beauty that rippled alluringly along her hips and swept along the floor. Usagi was the picture of elegance; as if the dress had been specifically designed for her.

Her hair was completely pulled back into an elegant twist at the nape of her neck. Silken, blonde curls rippled down her back in glossy waves. Fringe-like bangs swept back over a tightly braided crown, with tiny tendrils curling along her temples.

Motoki gave her a light smile, one that she returned. "Usagi, you look beautiful," he said honestly. A blush crept across her cheeks and she looked him over. He knew he looked dashing in his tux. And by the smirk that graced her lips, she agreed.

"You look quite amazing yourself," she chuckled. He laughed in response and held out his arm. She took it as he gracefully led her into the building.

Classical music, like the music that played during her dance lesson, resounded in the elegant ballroom. The place cascaded in gold and silver and patrons glided magnificently across the dance floor to the music. Waiters moved around the room, flutes of champagne on their trays that they passed around.

Usagi took a deep shuddered breath and Motoki squeezed her arm in reassurance. "You got this, Usagi," he whispered. She looked up at him with a grateful smile and a small nodded.

But as they headed into the crowd, her nerves got the best of her and she tripped, sending her stumbling forward into a waiter and knocking down his tray of drinks. Motoki caught her before she hit the ground, helping her to stand back up quickly. But the clash of broken glass and champagne hitting the pristine floor drew the attention of everyone and they all turned to look at the newly arrived couple.

Usagi's face was one of horror and embarrassment as she apologized profusely to the waiter. Motoki helped the man up, before wrapping an arm protectively around his date and leading her away from the contemptuous eyes that sneered at her.

"Motoki, I'm so sorry," her voice cracked with the tears that glistened in her eyes. "I knew this was a bad idea."

Motoki smiled and turned her to face him, both hands on her shoulders. "Usagi, it's fine."

"Did you see everyone staring at me?" She ducked her head in shame.

"I saw them unable to take their eyes off of the beauty that had just walked in and made sure she had captured everyone's attention," he responded with a smile. The corners of her rosy-hued lips curled up into a small, grateful smile as she peered at him through her bangs.

"Thanks, 'Toki," she said, a pink blush tinting her cheeks.

Suddenly, a movement to their side caught their attention and they both looked to see Mamoru urgently pushing through the crowd toward them, Reika on his heels. Motoki tensed and dropped his hands from Usagi's shoulders, the movement not going unnoticed by her. She reached out and took his hand, bringing his attention back to her.

"I'm sure she just didn't want to come alone," she whispered encouragingly. He nodded, though didn't really feel as confident as she did.

 _What were they doing here together?_ Were they here as friends? Did they just not want to come alone, just like Usagi had said? Or had their plan backfired? Had he sent his best friend and his ex into each other's arms?

The thought made his stomach turn and he immediately felt sick.

"Usa," the deep baritone of Mamoru's voice sounded slightly panicked. They both frowned as they turned towards him. "Are you okay? I saw you almost fall," he asked, his tone low, steady, and tinged with concern.

"Yes," Usagi nodded. "I'm fine. Motoki caught me." She gave him a shy, flirty smile, no doubt for Reika and Mamoru's benefit. Motoki smiled back, his tensed posture relaxing a little.

Mamoru, on the other hand, took over the abrupt tenseness, his shoulders squaring as if he were collecting himself. Then, to his horror, Motoki watched as Reika moved to stand beside him and Mamoru's arm snaked its way around her waist. Reika smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder and looked at them.

"Usagi, you look simply gorgeous!" She said in an overtly exaggerated tone. It was so _unlike_ Reika and Motoki's breath hitched in his throat.

"Thank you, Reika. So do you," Usagi replied politely, and Motoki silently couldn't help but agree. Because she did. Usagi was the image of beauty and innocence in pale pink, but Reika… God, Reika was pure enticing, _perfection_ , dressed in a deep red gown that fit her tightly all the way down. A slit up the side ran all the way to her thigh. She took his breath away.

"You really look amazing, Usagi," Mamoru praised softly, and Motoki looked up just in time to see Mamoru eye his date up and down. With a frown, Reika elbowed him in the side while Usagi blushed. A bright shade of red becomingly blossomed on her cheeks, even more so than when he, himself, had complimented her.

"Th-thank you, Mamoru," Usagi whispered with a smile.

"Well," Reika said loudly. "This was fun." Her sarcastic tone didn't fool anyone. "Mamoru, let's go dance," she demanded, tugging on his arm. "Have a great time, you two," she exclaimed with a smile that was clearly fake as she led Mamoru away, and onto the dance floor.

Usagi turned back to him as he watched the pair disappear into the twirling couples on the dance floor. "Are you okay?" she asked thoughtfully. Motoki sighed, because he was, admittedly, torn between common-sense and unbidden jealousy that was prompting him to chase after them and rip Reika _away_ from Mamoru. This was no time to get caught up in his own emotions, though. He had promised Usagi a fun time, and already the night was turning him into a liar. He wanted to lighten things up for her.

Looking down, he graced her with a small, reassuring smile. "I'm okay. Care to dance?" He asked, offering her his hand. She grinned brightly, a tentative smile curling onto her lips as she accepted.

"I turned out to be a pretty decent dancer, ya know," she joked with a light-hearted giggle.

"I know," he chuckled as he led her toward the middle of the room.

She stopped short and frowned up at him. "You know?" she asked, her tone tinged with confused suspicion. His heart skipped a nervous beat when he suddenly realized his mistake.

He cleared his throat and shook his head. "I just mean Mamoru told me," he clarified his lie with a smile.

Usagi's face paled considerably. "He...he told you?"

Again, Motoki realized his mistake, and he internally cursed his loose tongue, as he shook his head. _Of course_ she would think that Mamoru had told him of their almost kiss.

"I just mean that he told me you weren't crushing his toes by the end of the night. That's all," he amended, and he hoped that he sounded more convincing than he felt.

He could tell she was mulling over it, when her shrewd expression softened. "Oh," she said and slowly began to head toward their destination. Motoki took a deep breath and followed. He had almost blown it.

oOo

The night had gone by without another hitch. Motoki's toes were fairly crushed, to Usagi's horror, but they still danced across the room. Usagi was immensely graceful as she talked with his colleagues and superiors and Motoki beamed with pride.

On a few occasions, Motoki had caught a certain tall someone watching them and he'd grin. It was almost as if Mamoru just couldn't help but stare.

But he couldn't say much. He'd caught himself a few times staring longingly at Reika. His eyes seemed to be drawn to her, his gaze, almost of its own accord, sliding the slender curve of her hips, the enticing tilt of her head. She was, after all, the love of his life. To be honest, as much as he needed this plan to work for his two best friends, he desperately needed this to work for him and Reika, too. He would do _anything_ to get her back.

With that notion coursing through his head, he couldn't help the way his eyes sought her out again. He fixed his eyes on the strange couple across the room, only to catch Reika looking back at him. Before he could give her a soft smile, she quickly turned back to Mamoru, and wrapped her arms securely around his neck pressing her body seductively against his.

Even as Mamoru looked at Reika like she was crazy, Motoki couldn't help how his blood immediately began to boil. He turned back to Usagi and lightly grasped her elbow, drawing her attention away from the older gentleman she was politely conversing with. She looked up at him with a frown of confusion.

"Everything okay?" she asked softly, seemingly concerned by the look on his face.

"Dance with me," he said through gritted teeth and he didn't give her time to reply as he dragged her out onto the dance floor. She dropped her champagne flute on a passing waiter's tray as she passed him. As Motoki swooped her around and pulled her ungracefully into his arms, she let out a slight "oomph".

"Motoki, _what_ is going on?" she hissed. But he didn't answer. Instead, he pulled her tightly against him. "Motoki, talk to me," she demanded. He turned her just slightly, allowing her to see the couple behind him. Motoki watched as her face contorted into one of shock and... was that a little anger he'd seen flash across her face? "Why is she all over him!?" She spat.

Usagi's furiously whispered exclamation only served to enrage Motoki even more. Because it wasn't _just_ him. Usagi had noticed, _too_. At that moment, it didn't matter that this had been his plan all along. That his scheming with Minako had been to push their friends closer together. He'd known that there was going to be jealousy. He just hadn't counted on his _own_ jealousy.

 _And he was jealous_. There was no doubt about that. Because… damn. He _missed_ her.

He should have pulled Usa off of that dance floor. Maybe out onto the terrace where he could get some air. Take a moment, clear his mind, regroup before jumping back into the fray and playing out the rest of this ridiculous plan until the bitter end. That isn't what he did, though, and what happened next was purely born from hazy emotions that were a mixture of regret, anger, and jealousy. Because he suddenly wanted to make Reika jealous _too._

He swirled Usagi onto the dance floor, and he only distinctly heard her gasp of dismay as she faltered a little, tripping into him because his gaze was firmly locked onto Reika's face. A small part of him relished the way her eyes narrowed on them, and her lips pursed in irritation, a beautiful pink tinge blossoming on her cheeks.

It was bothering her too. She wasn't unaffected by this, either.

He tightened his arms around Usagi, and his hands admittedly dipped a little lower than they should have, resting on the curve of her hips as they suddenly stopped dancing. Usagi's back was facing Mamoru and Reika, which provided him with a perfect, unobstructed view of the expression contorting Reika's face. She looked as angry as he felt.

It stopped him in his tracks, and his heart skipped a beat as he exhaled deeply. _He hated this_. He felt more than ready to drop this facade and go to her and explain everything. The corners of his lips began to quirk upwards into an apologetic smile, when suddenly Reika swiveled around, pressed her lithe form firmly against a shocked Mamoru, then propelled herself onto the tips of her toes and curled slender arms around his neck.

If there was a reasonable thought left in Motoki's head - like the fact that she was _clearly_ just trying to get to him- it completely dissipated at the sight of the girl he loved in someone else's arms.

His arms must have involuntarily tightened around Usagi in his anger, because he was vaguely aware of her inhaling sharply, sucking in a pained breath. "Motoki! You're hurting me!" she hissed.

His hold loosened and he opened his mouth to apologize. But then Reika's face was only inches away from Mamoru's. If he'd bothered to look closer, he probably would have noted the horror on Mamoru's face, and how his raven-haired friend's eyes were firmly glued onto _them._ But, as it stood, he didn't take his eyes off of Reika, as he tensed, then did something really stupid.

He leaned forward, dumbly about to kiss his blonde-haired friend. He was stupid, _so stupid,_ but he felt desperate, too.

Usagi's eyes widened, confused at first, until she realized what he was about to do. "'Toki! What are you doing?" she whispered sharply, in disbelief, but he barely heard her. His eyes on Reika who'd stopped her attack on Mamoru and was watching them.

He leaned in a little closer, until finally, Usagi had reached her limit as she angrily ripped herself out of his arms. 'Stop, Motoki!" she yelled, finally managing to get his attention.

He wasn't the only one whose attention she'd managed to gain, which was imminently clear as Mamoru pulled away from Reika, his movements filled with purpose as he angrily strode towards them before he roughly shoved Motoki hard.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" He growled, his tone filled with fury. Motoki's eyes widened, and though he should have known better, the sight of Reika's arms curled around his neck was still burned into the forefront of his mind and it spurred his anger again.

"How about you keep your hands off of _my_ girlfriend," he retorted just as harshly, shoving Mamoru back a few steps. Mamoru, muscles coiled in preparation of a fight, took another step towards Motoki. He was intercepted by Reika that stomped in between them, her voice spitting with rage.

"Your _girlfriend_? That's a laugh! And what do you even care who touches _me_? You're the one planning on going heels up with Usagi tonight!"

"That's it!" Usagi screamed, and everyone in the ballroom was once again focused on her. "This has gone on way too far! You," she pointed at Motoki, "are being an asshole right now! This is not the Motoki I know. And you," she swung her finger on Reika, "are the stupidest woman I have ever met!"

"Excuse me?" Reika stuttered, taken aback by Usagi's sudden outburst.

"You really think this man is capable of sleeping with someone that's not you?" She hissed in disbelief and pointed back at Motoki but didn't take her eyes off Reika. "That he's capable of _ever_ getting over you? You're an idiot!" She exclaimed, stomping her foot, and she was completely lost in her rant, unaware of her surroundings. "This whole thing was an elaborate scheme we concocted to bring the two of you back together! To show you that you _belong_ together. That it's not over for him. That it will _never_ be over for him. You are the love of his life and he's willing to do _anything_ to get you back. Even if it means using me to do it!" The varying looks of shock on the people surrounding them was almost comical.

Usagi wasn't done though, "And _believe_ me, I was _very_ willing to do this because even I could see that you two deserve each other! So, unless it's the two of you 'going heels up' tonight, no one is sleeping with anyone!"

It was only then that Usagi noticed that the whole ballroom had gone completely silent. You probably could have heard a pin drop if not for the sound of soft music that still played in the background. They all looked around to see everybody staring at the four of them and the scene they were causing.

Usagi gasped in horror. "Oh my God," she whispered, grasping her cheeks in embarrassment. Motoki swallowed past the lump in his throat while Reika turned a bright red and Mamoru looked around the room. "Oh my God," Usagi hissed a bit louder before she took off, a whir of gold hair and pink fabric, as she flew towards the balcony and out through the door.

Mamoru stared in her direction, hesitating for only a brief moment, before tearing after her. Motoki took a deep breath and turned back to Reika, who was staring at him, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Was...was all that true?" Reika stammered, and his breath hitched in his throat as a tear trickled down her cheek. Still stunned from Usagi's outburst, Motoki nodded slowly.

"I love you, Reika. I never stopped," he said gently, the confession rolling off his tongue with ease.

She stared transfixed on him for a moment before throwing herself at him, wrapping her arms about his neck, and pulling his lips to hers. He immediately pulled her closer to him, his arms encircling her waist. When she pulled away, a giant smile had taken over her previous angry expression.

"I love you too, Motoki. I missed you so much!" And she kissed him again. This time, he lifted her just slightly and grinned into her lips as the crowd around them gave a soft applause at the show.

oOo

Mamoru took a step onto the balcony, finding Usagi leaned against the railing, looking out. He silently closed the door behind him and made his way to stand next to her. She didn't even flinch and he knew she'd probably known the second he opened that door.

"I just made a complete fool of myself," she said softly as she gazed over the city.

Mamoru chuckled gently. "You certainly gained everyone's attention," he admitted, and they stood in silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "Was all of that true? The relationship with Motoki. It was all fake?"

Usagi nodded. "Yeah. He wanted Reika back so badly. He and Minako were the ones who originally came up with the plan for us to "date" but when I found out about it, I had to go along. I had to help him. They deserve to be together. Everyone deserves to be with the one they love."

Mamoru's heart stopped as his gaze slid over her slender form bathed beautifully in the soft glow of the moonlight. _Everyone?_ Did everyone really deserve to be with the one they loved? _Even him?_

"It really is beautiful, isn't it?" She murmured, the lilting tone of her voice barely above a whisper. She was clearly talking about the Tokyo skyline. But he couldn't tear his eyes away from the beauty before him.

"Yeah. Beautiful," he replied softly, the tone in his voice finally managing to pull her gaze onto him. She flushed a bright red with the realization that they were not talking about the same thing. With a half-smirk, he held out his hand. "Dance with me," he said. She stared at his hand, only hesitating for a moment, before taking it and allowing him to lead her onto the middle of the balcony.

The butterflies in his stomach flipped and spun as he pulled her into his arms, but he kept his demeanor cool. They could hear the music in the ballroom through the glass windows of the balcony and together, they moved across their own personal dance floor. Her eyes were locked onto his, like they were in the arcade only the night before. But this time, he didn't have to hold back. He _couldn't_ hold back.

Before the song even ended, he dipped his head, touching his lips gently to hers. He could feel her smile against his lips and she pulled her hand out of his and curled her arm around his neck, deepening their kiss. His arms moved of their own accord, encircling her waist and pulling her flush against him. Her fingers intertwined in the hair at the nape of his neck and it only made him want her that much more.

He finally pulled away and looked down into her shining blue eyes. He had to take a chance. "Usako," he began softly. "I'm in love with you. I always have been. It just took you dating my best friend for me to see it. I'm sorry I've been a jerk. I didn't know how to handle my feelings and I was an idiot."

Tears glistened in her eyes as she smiled up at him. "I love you too, Mamo-chan," she said, and he rushed her deliciously inviting lips again.

He couldn't believe what was happening. She was his and he was hers. He finally understood the emotions that ran through him whenever he saw her; understood the reasons why he always seemed to look for her around every corner and run into her whenever possible. He loved her. And she loved him back.

Suddenly, she pushed away, frowning up at him. "Wait a minute. You didn't know you loved me until I started dating Motoki?" she asked skeptically. He blinked in surprise.

"Yeah...seeing you two together...I couldn't handle it. And after a while, I finally figured out why," he replied nervously. He watched in confusion as her eyes drifted to his chest and the wheels turned in her head, her mouth slightly agape as she pondered something.

Finally, her mouth closed and her face moved from one of confusion to one of resolve. Very slowly, her head turned to look at the glass windows separating them from the ballroom. He followed her gaze to see Motoki watching them with a big smile, Reika on his arm. A huff to his side brought his attention back to Usagi in time to see her crook a finger at their friend, beckoning him to them.

 _What the hell was going on?!_

Motoki opened the door and led Reika toward them, a grin plastered on his face. Usagi pulled away, leaving the comfort of his arms to charge their blond friend. And he immediately missed her in his grasp.

Motoki released Reika, taking a few steps forward to face the onslaught he was about to receive on his own. Mamoru and Reika watched in silent confusion as Motoki crossed his arms and took a deep breath. Usagi ran up, shoving Motoki lightly with both hands. He laughed as the push sent him back a few steps.

"Reika wasn't your plan at all, was she?" Usagi yelled, her fists balled up at her sides. "It was me and Mamoru the whole time, wasn't it?" Motoki only grinned. "Of course it was. This plan reeks of Minako, too. The whole thing was her idea, wasn't it?"

Without a word, Motoki pulled out his phone, scrolled through for a minute, and held it up for her to see. It was a text from Minako: _Did it work? Are they kissing yet? Are they in love? Tell me what's happening!_

Usagi's mouth dropped opened in astonishment and Motoki roared with laughter. Mamoru and Reika looked at each other, finally understanding what was happening.

"You asshole!" Usagi yelled, hitting Motoki in the chest. Motoki laughed again.

"Calm down, Usagi!" He chuckled. "Yes, the plan was originally meant for you and Mamoru. We both knew you needed to be together. It was plainly obvious your feelings for one another. Well, obvious to everyone _except_ the two of you," he said, throwing a knowing look to Mamoru before turning his attention back to Usagi. "It was actually _your_ idea to make this about Reika. And I'm so glad you did." He looked over his shoulder to the girl he loved. "She is so very important to me and I needed her back. I love her," he said with a soft smile. She smiled in return. He looked back to Usagi. "I have you to thank you for reuniting us. I'm forever in your debt."

Usagi blushed slightly, a smile finally creeping onto her face. With a soft glance at Mamoru, he came to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Consider the debt repaid," she said with a wink and a soft giggle. Motoki smiled and with a flip of a hand, beckoned Reika to his side. "I'm sorry if we hurt you, Reika," Usagi said sincerely. But Reika only shook her head.

"Thank you for helping me see that what I needed was Motoki. I was so depressed when we broke up. I need him in my life. And you gave that to me. Just...just don't date him ever again, okay?" she joked seriously. Usagi laughed.

"Deal."

"Well," Motoki sighed. "I supposed I should message Minako and let her know what's going on," he said as he held up his phone. But Usagi reached out, pushing his hand back down.

"Don't. Let her sweat a little," she said, throwing Motoki a wink. Motoki only laughed and slipped the phone back into his pocket. Without a word, he led Reika away and back into the ballroom.

Once again alone, she turned back to Mamoru, wrapping her arms around his neck again.

"Do you regret dating my best friend?" Mamoru said with a grin.

"Not for a second. It brought me to you," she said sincerely before pushing herself up on her tiptoes and crushing her lips to his again. He tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her as close against him as possible. And he had no intention of letting her go.

THE END

Thank you for stick around until the end and being super duper patient with me during my surgery recovery crap! I really hope you like the fluffy ending. Please let me know what you think!

And thank you so much to Beej88 and Revy679 for also sticking with me, pushing me to finish it, being amazing bae-tas, and of course, being the best ladies and friends a girl can ask for!

I've already got other things in the works so stay tuned for something new! Also, I've got a few Hot and Heavy Chronicles chapters I'm working on. So, there will be something new posted there as well. Can't wait to see you guys again! Until next time!


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